Mountain Bluebirds Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) are one of three bluebird species in North America. They are an insectivorous migratory passerine whose range encompasses most of western North America. Although their range is not restricted to the mountains, they will nest at high elevations and prefer open country. They are secondary cavity nesters and compete for nest sites with introduced species such as the European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) and the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). Competition for nest sites is thought to have contributed to a decline in North American populations in the mid 1900s. This trend was reversed thanks to the large-scale, long-term, grassroots conservation efforts of thousands of volunteers across North America who maintains hundreds of thousands of bluebird boxes which are almost entirely species-specific. Populations of all three bluebird species now appear stable.

 

Although nest boxes can bolster populations, they cannot substitute for natural habitats and processes. The Centre for Conservation Research works in collaboration with members of the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society (MBT) which maintains bluebird boxes in southwestern Alberta.

Research focuses on two aspects of bluebird biology, i) nest predation and ii) health. To address nest predation the Centre for Conservation Research is helping to design and field-test a predator-resistant modification to retro-fit existing nest boxes in southwestern Alberta. The work involved trials using the Calgary Zoo's raccoons to determine which of a variety of nest box designs, developed by MBT members, are 'raccoon-proof'. Two nest box designs were chosen and subsequently tested for two summers on nest boxes near Lethbridge, Alberta to determine whether they affect bluebird nest box choice and nesting success. A study was also conducted to determine how nesting bluebirds behave when presented with a mock predator near their nest.

Very little information exists on health parameters for wild bluebirds. In cooperation with the Calgary Zoo's experienced veterinary team, researchers collected blood samples from 153 bluebird adults and chicks over two summers to determine baseline health values for bluebirds and the amount of variation around those values.