Fairly common in overgrown fields with hedges or scattered trees. Also found in riparian corridors in Midwest. ♂ sings long rolling warbled song from bushtops. ♀ less conspicuous. Feeds in weeds, and makes exaggeratedly moves tail side-to-side. Gives a hard waterthrush-like ‘chink.’ ID: A large bunting with a grosbeak’s bill. Slim but powerful with a large head and long broad tail with rounded tip. Distinctive broad orange-buff wing bars. Often confused with INBU but latter not so large, smaller-billed, has different tail shape, and lacks broad wing bars. Ad ♂: – violet-blue – INBU lacks any purple tones. Ad ♀: pale gray-brown, sometimes with blue on coverts, tail and/or head. 1st-w: similar to ad ♀ but browner; no breast streaks. 1st-s ♂: molts in large patches of blue.