Mountain Bluebird

Spring has arrived (for now), and the songbirds have returned to my neck of the woods. Now, to be fair, today's bird doesn't live anywhere near me, but I'm sure they are fluttering around by some of my western readers. Allow me to introduce you to the Mountain Bluebird, the state bird of both Idaho and Nevada.

Mountain Bluebirds come in different colors, depending on the sex of the bird. Females are a dull brownish-grey, with hints of light blue on the wings and tail. Males, on the other hand, are a very bright blue all around, with the underparts lighter than the top. They use their colors, their calls, and their carefully scouted nest locations, to attract mates.

When it comes to nesting habits, most of what we know comes from the birds that raise their young in man-made nest boxes. Females do almost all of the actual nest building, as the males for some reason tend to drop the materials en route to the site (and that's if they even help at all!). Thankfully, the males make up for their lack of building expertise by being great food providers. They deliver meals to the mother and their chicks. Mountain Bluebirds feed on insects, hovering in the air or waiting on a perch before swooping down for a catch.

The species has a very large range, and thanks to all the man-made nest boxes, the birds are doing quite well for themselves. Once upon a time their numbers were decreasing due to the nest site competition caused by habitat loss, but now the population is stable and the bird are listed as being of Least Concern.

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Western North America
Size : Body Length up to 8in (20cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Turdidae -- Genus : Sialia -- Species : S. currucoides

Comments

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km) from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status : Not Listed Location : Cent

Animal A Day!

Search This Blog