Fairly common summer residents across the southern half of the U.S., blue grosbeaks favor weedy fields with scattered trees. In my experience, the male often sings from the top of a small tree; though he has a distinctive tune and is significantly larger, he may be mistaken for an indigo bunting.
Blue grosbeaks usually feed on the ground, consuming a wide variety of insects, spiders and seeds. Most often seen alone or in pairs, they gather in loose flocks by late summer as they prepare for their migration to Mexico and Central America.
I have been fortunate to encounter several blue grosbeaks in central Missouri this summer, including a lone male at Perry Phillips Lake this morning. While they are not rare, it is always a pleasure to encounter these songsters which are greatly outnumbered by their usual neighbors (indigo buntings, goldfinches and dickcissels).
