Bird Description

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.