These attractive birds were fairly common in second growth willows and overgrown fields. The males take two years to gain full plumage. Seven subspecies are recognized ranging from the United States and Middle America with some populations migrating south as far as Panama. Differences are slight but this is presumably P. c. interfusa which has less purple and is slightly larger than birds from the Eastern US. Birds from California are similar but have a slightly smaller bill.
Relationships are in flux. Formerly the Blue Grosbeak was placed in its own genus, but molecular data have confirmed what many people already believed, that the Blue Grosbeak is a bunting (Lazuli, Indigo, etc.) and is now included with them in the genus Passerina.
Digiscoped with Panasonic DMC-LZ5 | Nikon FieldScope III | 30XWA | hand-held (no adapter)