THRUSHES, BLUEBIRDS 



Siorrca Nevadas. South in winter to Lower 

 California and Mexico. 



The mountain bluebird, as its name imphes, 

 inhabits the higher parts of its range, hving 

 mostly in the interior arid districts of the 

 West and in the mountains up to fourteen 

 thousand feet. It is a common bird in east- 

 ern Washington and Oregon, and throughout 

 the foothills and mountains of California as 

 far south as the San Bernardino Mountains. 

 It comes about the ranches and builds its 

 nest in any convenient hole or crevice in tree 

 or })uilding and often in bird boxes. 



The exquisite coloring of the mountain 

 bluebird makes it one of our most beautiful 

 birds. It has all of the winning w^ays of other 

 bluebirds, the same soft warble, the same 

 dainty manner of lifting its wings as it alights, 

 and the same butterfly-like habit of hovering 

 close to the ground when in quest of some 

 insect it spies in the grass. 



The mountain bluebird is especially attrac- 

 tive in its favorite haunts in the high moun- 

 tains. Here it may be seen in flocks about 

 the mountain meadows, flying back and forth, 

 stopping on its way to hover, almost motion- 

 less, in midair as it sees something below, 

 sometimes dropping lightly to the ground to 

 seize some dainty insect morsel. In the fall 

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