Thursday, November 26, 2020

Western Bluebird

I've seen a few western bluebirds in the past, but yesterday I took a late-afternoon walk in Live Oak Canyon, near Redlands, and found a grouping of 10 to 15. I got my best photos of western bluebirds, so far, because the light was better and there were more opportunities for photos.  
All of my photos are of females, except possibly this one. It has the brownish patch on its back and is a brighter blue, but appears to lack the blue throat (although that could be because of excess light on the throat and chest area).  
Males are bright blue on the top and on the throat, have an orange breast and sides, a brownish patch on the back and a gray belly and undertail coverts. 


Females have a duller blue body, wings and tail, a gray throat, a dull orange breast and a gray belly and undertail coverts. 

They are year-round residents of our part of California. 

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