Ultramarine Grosbeak Cyanoloxia brissonii

Stunning dark blue bird with a huge bill. Male is mostly deep cobalt with paler highlights on the shoulder and eyebrow and a darker patch around the eye. Female is rich reddish-brown overall. Found singly or in pairs in scrubby wooded habitats, often near water. Can be skulky, preferring to forage in dense thickets. Occurs mostly in southeastern South America, with disjunct populations in Venezuela and Colombia. Compare with Blue-black Grosbeak, which doesn’t overlap much in range and is typically found in heavier forest.