Blue Grosbeaks have finally reached the upper edges of their range in California.

The deeply saturated blue of this bird is a sight to see, but sadly, not a common one. It prefers shrubby riparian areas and the edges of forests. Because the Blue Grosbeak is so elusive, there is little written about its life cycle. It is known that the birds have two clutches a year, and that it shares a breeding range with the Indigo Bunting.  The females incubate and feed their offspring while the babies are nest-bound, only when the young are fledged does the male step in while the female prepares for their second clutch.

(Photo by Dan Pancamo/Flickr Commons)