Blue grosbeak
| Blue grosbeak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male (upper), female (lower) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Cardinalidae |
| Genus: | Passerina |
| Species: | P. caerulea |
| Binomial name | |
| Passerina caerulea (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
The blue grosbeak (Passerina caerulea, formerly Guiraca caerulea), is a medium-sized seed-eating bird in the same family as the northern cardinal, "tropical" or New World buntings, and "cardinal-grosbeaks" or New World grosbeaks.
The male blue grosbeak is a beautiful bird, being almost entirely deep blue. The female is mostly brown. Both sexes are distinguished by their large, deep bill and double wing bars. These features, as well as the grosbeak's relatively larger size, distinguish this species from the indigo bunting. Length can range from 14 to 19 cm (5.5 to 7.5 in) and wingspan is from 26 to 29 cm (10 to 11 in).[2][3] Body mass is typically from 26 to 31.5 g (0.92 to 1.11 oz).[4]
This is a migratory bird, with nesting grounds across most of the southern half of the United States and much of northern Mexico, migrating south to Central America and in very small numbers to northern South America; the southernmost record comes from eastern Ecuador. It eats mostly insects, but it will also eat snails, spiders, seeds, grains, and wild fruits. The blue grosbeak forages on the ground and in shrubs and trees.
Habitat
This species is found in partly open habitat with scattered trees, riparian woodland, scrub, thickets, cultivated lands, woodland edges, overgrown fields, or hedgerows. It nests in a low tree or bush or a tangle of vegetation, usually about 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) above ground, often at the edge of an open area.
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Passerina caerulea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN 978-0849342585.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to blue grosbeak. |
 |
Wikispecies has information related to: Passerina caerulea |
- Blue grosbeak species account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Blue grosbeak profile at North Carolina Partners in Flight
- Blue grosbeak - Guiraca caerulea - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Picture of a blue grosbeak in hand
- Blue grosbeak bird sound at Florida Museum of Natural History
- Blue grosbeak videos, photos, and sounds at the Internet Bird Collection
- Blue grosbeak photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
- Interactive range map of Passerina caerulea at IUCN Red List maps
