Bluebird of happiness

This little male Mountain Bluebird was perched in the sunlight, fairly close to their nest box. Photographed along one of the gravel backroads SW of Calgary, on 26 June 2013.

In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id

www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...

www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/9531670766