Mountain Bluebirds
Birds of the Canadian Badlands
The Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) is a medium-sized
bird weighing about 2-5 ounces, with a length from 15–20 cm
(6–8 in). They have light underbellies and black eyes. Adult
males have thin bills are bright turquoise-blue and somewhat
lighter beneath. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail,
grey breast, grey crown, throat and back. In fresh fall plumage,
the female's throat and breast are tinged with red-orange; brownish
near the flank contrasting with white tail underparts. They inhabit
open rangelands, meadows, generally at elevations above 5,000 feet.
These birds hover over the ground and fly down to catch insects,
also flying from a perch to catch them. They mainly eat insects and
berries. Mountain bluebirds are cavity nesters and can become very
partial to a nest box, especially if they have successfully raised
a clutch. They may even re-use the same nest, though not always. In
the Canadian Badlands, nest boxes on fences often have Mountain
Bluebirds (or swallows) residing.
This cache is part of the Legacy Trail produced by the Canadian
Badlands Geocaching Association for the Best of the Bad Mega
Event.
The Legacy Trail
The Legacy Trail is a collection of geocaches that circles its
way over 100 miles on country roads traversing some of the most
scenic and spectacular landscape in this part of the Canadian
Badlands. A large number of caches in a variety of types, sizes and
difficulty are placed on the Trail. Every town, village and hamlet
in the Canadian Badlands has its own cache. Some caches were named
after local historic events and people, as well as celebrities who
grew up in this area. Some caches were sponsored by geocachers who
attended the Best of the Bad Mega Event. The Legacy Trail was
produced by the Canadian Badlands Geocaching Association for the
Best of the Bad Mega Event.
The Canadian Badlands
The Canadian Badlands in Alberta are like no other place on
earth, home to the world's most extensive dinosaur bonebeds,
badlands and hoodoos, and a world-class museum that shelters a 75
million-year-old legacy. The region is rich in culturally and
historically significant sites that tell the story of the First
Nations people and early settlers, and of a complex and diverse
modern society that is still deeply rooted in the spirit of the
frontier.
