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Home/Species/ Blue Grosbeak

Passerina caerulea

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Blue Grosbeak

G5Secure Found in 48 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103868
Element CodeABPBX64010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyCardinalidae
GenusPasserina
Synonyms
Guiraca caerulea(Linnaeus, 1758)
Other Common Names
Guiraca bleu (FR) Picogordo Azul (ES)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 2002. Forty-third supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 119(3):897-906.
Taxonomic Comments
This species formerly was placed in the monotypic genus Guiraca (AOU 1998), but a phylogenetic study using mitochondrial cytochrome-b sequences places this species firmly within the bunting genus Passerina, as a well-supported sister species to the Lazuli Bunting, P. amoena (Klicka et al. 2001). Similarities in behavior, molts and plumages also link this species with Passerina (Phillips et al. 1964, Blake 1969). This generic placement was accepted by the American Ornithologists' Union (Banks et al. 2002).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-09
Change Date2002-10-08
Range Extent Comments
BREEDS: central California, southern Nevada, Utah, southern Colorado, Dakotas, central Illinois, southern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and New Jersey south to northern Baja California, southern Arizona, Costa Rica, Gulf Coast, and central Florida. WINTERS: southern Baja and northern Mexico to Panama, rarely northern Colombia and northeastern Ecuador; rare in West Indies east to St. John.
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

See Kaufman (1989) for information on identification.

Habitat

Partly open situations with scattered trees, riparian woodland, scrub, thickets, cultivated lands, woodland edges, overgrown fields, hedgerows. Nests in low tree or bush, tangle of vegetation, usually about 1-3 m above ground, often at edge of open area (Harrison 1979).

Ecology

In Costa Rica, residents usually are in pairs, migrants solitary or in small groups (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Reproduction

Clutch size is 2-5 in north (usually 4). Produces 2 broods per year in the south. Incubation, by female, lasts 11-12 days. Young are tended by both parents, leave nest at 9-13 days. Male feeds fledged young if female renests.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodShrubland/chaparralOld fieldCropland/hedgerow
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaNNA
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioSNAYes
United StatesN5B
ProvinceRankNative
South DakotaS4BYes
Navajo NationS2BYes
TexasS4BYes
NevadaS3BYes
MississippiS5BYes
New YorkSNAYes
ArkansasS4B,S4NYes
KansasS5BYes
DelawareS5BYes
PennsylvaniaS4BYes
MarylandS5BYes
ArizonaS5Yes
District of ColumbiaS2B,S2NYes
North CarolinaS5BYes
North DakotaSUYes
IdahoS1BYes
IowaS3B,S3NYes
VirginiaS5Yes
ColoradoS4BYes
TennesseeS4Yes
OklahomaSNRBYes
WyomingS1BYes
South CarolinaS4BYes
KentuckyS4BYes
New MexicoS5B,S5NYes
MinnesotaSNRBYes
IndianaS3BYes
CaliforniaSNRBYes
NebraskaS5Yes
LouisianaS5BYes
FloridaSNRBYes
MissouriSNRBYes
MassachusettsS1BYes
OhioS3Yes
IllinoisS5Yes
New JerseyS4B,S4NYes
West VirginiaS4BYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
UtahS3BYes
AlabamaS5BYes
Roadless Areas (48)
Arizona (17)
AreaForestAcres
BoulderTonto National Forest40,359
Catalina St. Pk. Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest951
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
FritschePrescott National Forest14,190
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
Lime CreekTonto National Forest42,568
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Middle Romero WSRCoronado National Forest60
MuldoonPrescott National Forest5,821
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
PicachoTonto National Forest4,969
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
Santa RitaCoronado National Forest6,078
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
Upper Romero WsrCoronado National Forest150
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
California (6)
AreaForestAcres
Eagle PeakCleveland National Forest6,481
LaddCleveland National Forest5,300
PaiuteInyo National Forest58,712
TequepisLos Padres National Forest9,080
TinemahaInyo National Forest27,060
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
Nevada (2)
AreaForestAcres
PotosiHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,145
South SchellHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest125,614
New Mexico (15)
AreaForestAcres
Candian RiverCibola National Forest7,149
Capitan MountainsLincoln National Forest14,069
Chama WS RiverSanta Fe National Forest4,168
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold WildernessGila National Forest111,883
Contiguous To Gila Wilderness & Primitive AreaGila National Forest79,049
Devils CreekGila National Forest89,916
Gila BoxGila National Forest23,759
Last Chance CanyonLincoln National Forest8,934
LemitasSanta Fe National Forest8,129
Meadow CreekGila National Forest34,167
Nichols ReservoirSanta Fe National Forest1,518
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
South Guadalupe MountainsLincoln National Forest20,930
Tucson MountainLincoln National Forest16,905
Wheeler Peak WildernessCarson National Forest2,677
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
South Dakota (2)
AreaForestAcres
Cheyenne RiverBuffalo Gap National Grassland7,572
Red ShirtBuffalo Gap National Grassland17,007
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Utah (2)
AreaForestAcres
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
Flat CanyonFishlake National Forest8,663
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
References (33)
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  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  3. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 2002. Forty-third supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 119(3):897-906.
  4. Balda, R. P., and G. C. Bateman. 1971. Flocking and annual cycle of the piñon jay, <i>Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus</i>. Condor 73:287-302.
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  6. BirdLife International. 2004b. Threatened birds of the world 2004. CD ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.
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  9. Hagan, J. M., III, and D. W. Johnston, editors. 1992. Ecology and conservation of neotropical migrant landbirds. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. xiii + 609 pp.
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  30. Thompson, F. R., III. 1994. Temporal and spatial patterns of breeding brown-headed cowbirds in the midwestern United States. Auk 111:979-990.
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  33. Zook, J. L. 2002. Distribution maps of the birds of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Unpublished.