Thrushes (Turdidae)

Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) - HBW 10, p. 626

French: Merlebleu de l’Ouest German: Blaukehl-Hüttensänger Spanish: Azulejo Occidental

Taxonomy: Sialia Mexicana Swainson, 1832, tableland of Mexico.
Geographical variation relatively slight, but individual variation rather wide; some accepted races possibly untenable. Proposed Mexican races anabelae (N Baja California) and australis (S plateau) considered indistinguishable from, respectively, occidentalis and nominate. Six subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

occidentalis J. K. Townsend, 1837 - SW Canada S to NW Mexico (N Baja California).
bairdi Ridgway, 1894 - interior W USA S to NW Mexico (S Sonora and NW Chihuahua).
jacoti A. R. Phillips, 1991 - S USA (Davis Mts, in S Texas) and NE Mexico (San Luis Mts).

See all 6 subspecies

occidentalis J. K. Townsend, 1837 - SW Canada S to NW Mexico (N Baja California).
bairdi Ridgway, 1894 - interior W USA S to NW Mexico (S Sonora and NW Chihuahua).
jacoti A. R. Phillips, 1991 - S USA (Davis Mts, in S Texas) and NE Mexico (San Luis Mts).
amabilis R. T. Moore, 1939 - NW Mexico (SE Chihuahua to NW Zacatecas).
nelsoni A. R. Phillips, 1991 - NE & C Mexico (N Coahuila to W San Luis Potosí, N Guanajuato and NE Jalisco).
mexicana Swainson, 1832 - C Mexico (Veracruz to N Puebla and Hidalgo, W to Michoacán and Aguascalientes).