Grosbeaks

Black Headed Grosbeak Latin Name- Pheucticus melanocephalus

Evening Grosbeak Latin Name- Hesperiphona vespertina

In this article I will talk about different Grosbeaks.

The Rose Breasted Grosbeak is about 7 1/4 inches long when an adult and has a big cone shaped beak. The bird has a black head, wings and the top part of its body and has a red, triangular breast patch. Its belly is white with white spots on its tail and wings. The male in the autumn and snow on the ground months is smooth and glossy and colored teal with chestnut speckles. The young male birds have similar plumage as the male adults in the autumn and winter months.

The adult female Rose Breasted Grosbeak is dark with strips of white on its crown. The female bird's stomach is greyish white with dark stripping. The plumage of the young female matches the adult female's feathers. One difference is the young female birds have a tawny colored chest.

The Evening Grosbeak usually migrates to the upper midwest and spends the winter there. Depending upon the amount of food available the Evening Grosbeak will nest in these areas. The bird begins migrating to these areas in the first weeks of October and ends by the middle of November. From the last week in March to the first of May the spring migration occurs. In the Northern Highland areas the Evening Grosbeak will be somewhat abundant in the snow covered months. The population of birds depends strictly on food supply so the cycle varies from year to year.

The Black-headed Grosbeak begins its spring migration around the first week of May reaching its nesting population around the end of May. In the autumn months the migration starts around the middle of August and reaches its peak in early September.

Similar species: Birders often mistake the female Black Headed Grosbeak with the female Rose Breasted Grosbeak because both have similar but different coloration.

The Black Headed Grosbeak favors living in woodlands of combined trees. The bird prefers areas with large trees and thick brush. Also the bird likes areas near rivers and lakes.

The Evening Grosbeaks use both hardwood and soft wood habitats. Trees like box elder, black spruce and maple trees that keep their fruits are the choice of the birds during migration. This bird will use these trees in rural as well as urban areas in the northern breeding areas.

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