Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.9–6.3 in
15–16 cm - Wingspan
- 11 in
28 cm - Weight
- 0.9–1.1 oz
26–31 g
Other Names
- Guiraca bleue (French)
- Piquirgrueso azul, Ruiz azul grande (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Blue Grosbeak formerly was placed in its own genus, Guiraca. Similarities with buntings in genetics, behavior, molts, and plumages led to its inclusion in the bunting genus Passerina. Genetic evidence indicates that the Lazuli Bunting is its closest relative.
- In the southern part of its breeding range, the Blue Grosbeak commonly raises two broods per year.
Habitat
Open Woodland
Forest edge, fields, power-line cuts, riparian areas, hedgerows, and other areas with medium-sized trees and low shrub density.
Food
Insects
Insects, other invertebrates, and seeds. Gathers in rice fields during migration.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 3–5 eggs
- Egg Description
- Pale blue and unmarked.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless.
Nest Description
Compact cup made of twigs, bark, rootlets, and other fibers and strips of material, placed low in shrubs or small trees.
Nest Placement
Shrub
Behavior
Ground Forager
Large bill can handle large seeds, including corn, and insects such as mantids and grasshoppers.
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations stable or increasing. Range has expanded northward since early 20th century. Brown-headed Cowbird commonly lays its own eggs in Blue Grosbeak nests; specific effects on populations not documented.
Credits
- Banks, R. C., et al. 2002. Forty-third supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 119: 897-906.
- Ingold, J. L. 1993. Blue Grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea ). In The Birds of North America, No. 79 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists' Union.