The Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) is a stunning blue thrush of the mountainous west. In Texas, it nests only in the mountains west of the Pecos river — the Guadalupe, Davis, and Chisos Mountains. For most people in Texas, this bird is encountered in winter in the western half of the state, where it is often difficult to find. During this season, small flocks roam the land in search of berries. Their long wings make them particularly well suited to flying long distances. Because berries are unpredictable, this species can be erratic—present some years and absent others. Around my hometown in Abilene, the species favors the juniper woodlands south of town along the limestone mesas known as the Callahan Divide.
Western Bluebird is one of three bluebird species in North America, the others being Eastern and Mountain Bluebird. Mountain Bluebird is easy to identify, as males have an electric blue plumage without any orange. The species most commonly seen by many in Texas is the Eastern Bluebird, occurring across the eastern two thirds of the state. At first look, Eastern and Western Bluebirds look a lot alike, but Westerns can be told by their blue (not orange) throats, gray (not white) bellies, and streaks of rusty red on their back (not solid blue like Eastern Bluebirds.)
My wife and I encountered a flock of Western Bluebirds while driving down a rural road south of town. Pulling over, I reached for the camera and slowly got out of the car, bending low to the ground to approach a gate that gave me a good place to rest my elbows and wait patiently behind a large fence. Oftentimes when one tries this approach, the flock gets wind of the photographer and moves on. But as luck would have it on this day, the birds paid me no mind, eventually coming quite close. Even better, the sun briefly punched through the blanket of clouds, bathing the bluebirds in soft, beautiful light. I especially love how the rust on the barbed wire in the photo matches the orange on the bird’s breast.
Photo Taken: 14 February 2016, south of Abilene, Taylor County, TX