Blue Grosbeak

1/320s at f8, ISO:400, Canon Mark III 1Ds w/800mm, 1.4x converter


The Blue Grosbeak is a medium-sized seed-eating bird in the same family as the Northern Cardinal. It is a migratory bird, with nesting grounds across most of the southern half of the United States and much of northern Mexico. 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. This species is found in partly open situations with scattered trees, riparian woodland, scrub, thickets, cultivated lands, woodland edges, overgrown fields, and hedgerows. It nests in a low tree or bush or a tangle of vegetation, usually about 1–3 m above ground, often at the edge of an open area. The average clutch size is 4 eggs. The female incubates the eggs, which takes 11-12 days, and the young fledge in 9-10 days.
Medicine Creek, NE
 
05/31/2009