BLUEBIRDS EXPAND RANGE INTO URBAN/SUBURBAN AREAS

By Miriam Raftery

September 18, 2016 (Mt Helix) – I grew up in La Mesa, where my mother had a bird feeder.  It attracted many species, but never bluebirds.  Until recently, I’d seen bluebirds only rarely, in the mountain areas.  So I was delighted to spot one in our yard on Mt. Helix this week—and soon learned that bluebirds are expanding their range locally.

There’s even a website called Bluebirds of San Diego County devoted to this colorful songbird: http://cbrp.org/SDBluebirds/webl.htm.

According to the site, Western Bluebird range from Canada to Mexico and from the West Coast to the Rocky Mountains.  Here in San Diego County, the Western Bluebird is extending its breeding range beyond mountain areas into urban areas with mature trees and lawns.

Interestingly, the expansion was led in part by Nuttall’s Woodpeckers that moved into urban trees such as liquid-amber and eucalyptus, creating cavities that enabled Western Bluebirds to later move in.  People putting up birdhouses are also helping the bluebirds find handy housing in suburban communities. (Get tips for adding a bluebird box to your yard here.)

For most of the year (except breeding season), bluebirds often travel in small flocks, feeding on insects and berries—such as ficus tree berries that the bluebird I spotted was gobbling up. 

Western bluebirds are not threatened or endangered, though in the past, bluebirds have lost habitat to wildfires and development.

Several neighbors on a Mt. Helix community forum online have also reported seeing bluebirds recently.

The ability of these beautiful birds to thrive in more places comes as welcome news to birdwatchers across our region, who are delighted to see “bluebirds of happiness” as their newest neighbors.