Why are they are so common at Craters? Research in the 1980s found that Mountain Bluebirds were most abundant in the lava fields at Craters of the Moon and around the volcanoes in the Cascade Mountains. As it turns out bluebirds don't have to nest in trees. Any hole or closed in space that is the right size and with an entrance the right size of about 1 ½ to 2 inches can be used. The lava fields at Craters of the Moon have an abundance of crevices and pockets that are just the right size for nesting bluebirds. This means that the availability of roosting and nesting sites does not limit the number of bluebirds as it does in most of North America. What limits the number of bluebirds here is the availability of insects to eat and their willingness to tolerate each other. This adds up to bluebirds being one the most commonly seen birds at Craters of the Moon. When driving the Loop Road or walking a trail watch for a flash of blue against the black lava as a Mountain Bluebird flies by.
n/a
n/a