Although it closely resembles the better known Eastern Bluebird, the Western Bluebird has a comparatively smaller range, but does sport a little more blue on the chin. The rufus belly extends up to the bottom of the beak on the Eastern variety. They're a funny bird in that they seem to have very inconsistent behavior by region. When I saw them in San Jose, CA, they were very tame and stayed very low to the ground (unfortunately those were the pre-camera days). Now when I see them in Arizona they prefer the highest canopies of the cottonwood and willow woodlands along the Arizona rivers. Very rarely they'll come down, still keeping a safe distance, and allow for some brief photography.
