[Length 8.25 in. Wingspan 12.5 in.]

This male Black-headed Grosbeak was photographed at Cave Creek Ranch, Portal, Arizona, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: June 24, 2013)

[Length 8.25 in. Wingspan 12.5 in.]

This female Black-headed Grosbeak was photographed at Piute Mountains, California, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: July 3, 2013)

[Length 8.25 in. Wingspan 12.5 in.]

This winter plumaged male Black-headed Grosbeak was photographed in winter at a nature center along the central coast of New Jersey, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: February 1995)

[Length 6.75 in. Wingspan 11 in.]

Blue Grosbeaks are widespread breeding birds along forest edges and in overgrown fields throughout all but the most northern states of the US. The name "Grosbeak" means "large bill", which certainly applies to this bird's oversized bill. The male Blue Grosbeak is easily distinguished from the similar blue-colored Indigo Bunting (which often occurs in the same fields as the Blue Grosbeak) by its "Gross Beak", its larger size, and its chestnut wing patch. This male Blue Grosbeak was photographed at Sabine Woods - TOS, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S f4 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D100 camera. (Date: April 20, 2005)

[Length 6.75 in. Wingspan 11 in.]

This Blue Grosbeak was photographed at the Willows, Sea Rim State Park, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: April 27, 2007)

[Length 6.75 in. Wingspan 11 in.]

This male Blue Grosbeak was photographed at the TOS Sabine Woods Sanctuary, Sabine Pass, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens + Nikkor TC20E II 2.0x Teleconverter (EFL=900mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: May 3, 2008)

[Length 6.75 in. Wingspan 11 in.]

This female Blue Grosbeak was photographed at the water feature by the visitor's center, Laguna Atascosa NWR, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: May 31, 2010)

[Length 6.75 in. Wingspan 11 in.]

This female Blue Grosbeak was photographed at the TOS Sabine Woods Sanctuary, Sabine Pass, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC17E II 1.7x Teleconverter (EFL=750mm) on a Nikon D7000 camera. (Date: May 3, 2012)

[Length 6.75 in. Wingspan 11 in.]

This male Blue Grosbeak was photographed at the Convention Center gardens, South Padre Island, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: May 3, 2013)