GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
tags: Blue Grosbeak, Passerina caerulea, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Blue Grosbeak, Passerina caerulea, photographed at High Island, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 11 April 2007 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/500s f/8.0 at 500.0mm iso800.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
A blue bird. With a short, broad tail. And a huge bill. This is a male Blue Grosbeak in all his glory.
The classic confusion species is Indigo Bunting, another member of the genus Passerina. But especially in a view like this, we'd see the longer, paler, uniformly dark of an Indigo Bunting, the more slender body, the uniformly dark blue wings, the more diffusely blackish face, and the more sparrow-like bill of that smaller species. In poor light or at a distance, either species can appear simply blackish, but even then the longer tail, finer body, and slighter bill of Indigo Bunting should distinguish it readily from the fist-shaped Blue Grosbeak.
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Haha. Now there's a bird. None of this indeterminate chick stuff.
Male Blue Grosbeak, based on the blue color and that gross beak.
Posted by: John Callender | November 29, 2008 11:16 AM
Blue grosbeak. At first, I thought it was an indigo bunting, but looking more closely at the beak and the shoulder color, I'm going with the grosbeak.
Posted by: Russell | November 29, 2008 11:44 AM
It's a blue cardinal! OMG! No, seriously: blue grosbeak. Black face, big beak, blue color, flash (from this angle) of rusty red on the shoulder, and shape and color of tail.
Posted by: The Ridger | November 29, 2008 2:04 PM
Male Blue Grossbeak. The large bill and the rufus on splash on the wing are diagnostic.
Posted by: Ian H Kinman | November 30, 2008 5:34 PM
It's important to note that this species is in the genus Passerina.
Posted by: Rick Wright | December 1, 2008 8:59 PM
wow, DUH! thanks for the correction, rick. i am so tired that i cannot think straight today, which i assume is glaringly obvious at this point. time to go to bed, methinks.
Posted by: "GrrlScientist" | December 1, 2008 9:06 PM