- Sialia mexicana
Identification
6.5-7". A bit larger than a sparrow; appears round-shouldered when perched. Head, wings, and tail blue; breast and back rusty red. (In some birds the back is partially or wholly blue.) Throat blue. Females are paler, duller, with rusty breast, grayish throat and belly. Young birds are speckle-breasted, grayish, devoid of red, but with some telltale blue in wings and tail.
Distribution
West coastal states of central North America, with California year-round. Four-corners states extending south through Mexico.
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia-> Phylum: Chordata-> Class: Aves -> Order: Passeriformes -> Family: Turdidae-> Genus: Sialia-> Species: S. mexicana
Habitat
Open woodlands, riparian zones, agricultural areas. Deserts in winter.
Behaviour
Usually in pairs, but gathers in flocks in winter. Has favorite perches, from which it drops to the ground to pick up prey or captures flying insects mid-air, flycatcher-style. Diet includes insects, worms, snails, and spiders, adding berries in season.
