Bird Basics

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

(Pheucticus ludovicianus)

Identification 

Simply put, there is absolutely no other bird that looks like the male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The striking color patterns and large size are distinctive.  The female, however, looks like the male minus the color.  Basically, think of an overgrown female Purple Finch.  They're brown and white streaked with a white eye stripe.  The size is the give-away on the female.  And, if you look closely, she does have a faint rosy or orange-ish wash to her upper breast.

If you live in the northern part of the United States, you've probably heard their summer song and thought it was a robin, or maybe an oriole.  They have a crystal clear, high warble.

Nesting

Both the male and female grosbeak sit on the eggs to incubate them. Located in trees, shrubs or even woven into vines, the nest is very loosely constructed of sticks, roots, hair, straw and leaves. Grosbeaks typically lay 1-5 eggs and it takes approximately 10-12 days for the nestlings to fledge.

Range and Diet

These grosbeaks are found only east of the Rockies, with their summer breeding territory ranging from as far south as as parts of Oklahoma and the Appalachians all the way up to Northern Canada.  Oddly, they are not found in the Northeastern part of Canada.  They winter in Central and South America.  Rose-breasted Grosbeaks actually prefer second-growth forests, so their numbers are doing well.

Keeping a fresh water supply and black oiler sunflower seeds is a great way to keep these birds in your yard all summer.  Grosbeaks also consume large numbers of insects gleaning them similar to the way warblers do, and some fruit.

  Listen to the Rose-breasted Grosbeak

copyrighted audio file kindly donated by John Feith