Diet

• Primarily seeds of grasses, weeds, and other herbaceous plants.

• During the breeding season, feeds heavily on insects, including grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, crickets, cicadas, and spiders.

• Also consumes small berries and other fruits during migration and winter.

• Forages mainly on or near the ground in dense vegetation, fields, and brushy habitats.

Range

• Breeds across the southern United States, northern Mexico, and locally farther north in North America.

• Winters from western and southern Mexico through Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America.

• In Mexico, it occurs both as a resident in some regions and as a winter visitor from farther north. It is a regular visitor in the Zihuatanejo region, especially during the non-breeding season.

• Inhabits brushy fields, woodland edges, tropical dry forests, thorn scrub, riparian areas, overgrown pastures, and agricultural land.

Male / Female

• Male: Deep cobalt-blue overall with two rich chestnut wing bars, black facial area around the bill, and a large, stout silver-gray bill.

• Female: Warm cinnamon-brown overall with faint buff wing bars and a pale throat; lacks the male's blue plumage.

• Juvenile males: Resemble females but gradually acquire blue feathers during their first year.

• The sexes are easily distinguished by their strikingly different plumage.

Size

• Length: 15–19 cm (5.9–7.5 in)

• Wingspan: 26–30 cm (10.2–11.8 in)

• Weight: 26–31 g