The wing linings are yellowish, and on the upperwing are two white patches like in the summer male. This allowed hybridization with the black-headed grosbeak subspecies P. melanocephalus papago. Illustration © David Allen Sibley. Mostly insects, seeds, and berries. The rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) is a large, seed-eating grosbeak in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). [28] Nests have been recorded at 0.8 to 16.7 m (2.6 to 54.8 ft) off the ground, averaging 6 m (20 ft) high, almost always in the vicinity of openings in woodlands. Females and immatures are streaked brown and white with a bold face pattern and enormous bill. In leafy woodlands of the East, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak often stays out of sight among the treetops. At one year of age—in their first breeding season—males are scaly above like fully adult males in winter plumage, and still retain the immature's browner wings. Both parents feed the nestlings. Male sings to defend nesting territory, and may fight actively with intruding males. Lives of North American Birds. Tends to migrate relatively late in spring and early in fall. Deciduous woods, orchards, groves. Rose-breasted grosbeaks were the only one of 70 migratory songbird species in the eastern United States shown in males to have produced sperm while still far south of their breeding location. Despite the relative rarity of sightings as compared to its Cardinal cousin, it is not a threatened species and is fairly abundant throughout its range. The song is a subdued mellow warbling, resembling a more refined, sweeter version of the American robin's (Turdus migratorius). The adult male in breeding plumage has a black head, wings, back, and tail, and a bright rose-red patch on its breast; the wings have two white patches and rose-red linings. [11][12] Very little sexual dimorphism in size is seen; females were found to be marginally smaller in standard measurements, but in some seasons were marginally heavier than males when banded in Pennsylvania. Our email newsletter shares the latest programs and initiatives. [16] A potential confusion species also is the female purple finch (Haemorhous purpureus), but that species is noticeably smaller with a less robust bill and a notched tail.[17]. [12][13][14] At all ages and in both sexes, the beak is dusky horn-colored, and the feet and eyes are dark.[15]. May feed heavily on berries and small fruits in late summer and fall. At all ages and in both sexes, the beakis du… [30] Clutches are from 1 to 5 eggs, normally being 3–4, being pale blue to green with purplish to brownish red spotting. Its underside and rump are white. Nest: Placed in deciduous tree or large shrub (occasionally in conifer), usually 5-20' above ground, sometimes much higher. [7], The genus name Pheucticus is from Ancient Greek φευκτικός - pheuktikós, "shy", from φεύγω - pheúgo, "to flee", and the specific ludovicianus is from New Latin and refers to Louisiana. [42], The rose-breasted grosbeak forages in shrubs or trees for insects, seeds and berries, also catching insects in flight and occasionally eating nectar. Pale greenish blue, spotted with reddish brown. [21] Male grosbeaks tend to arrive a few days to a week before the females and pair formation apparently occurs on the breeding grounds. The legendary birder's latest book is a love letter to Ohio and migratory wonders. Like the Northern Cardinal, it is a passerine, or perching bird, what we more often think of as a songbird. [43] In grosbeaks from the north-central United States and southern Canada, 52% of the stomach contents were comprised by invertebrates, predominantly beetles; 19.3% was made up of wild fruits; 15.7% by weed seeds; 6.5% by cultivated fruits and plants, including peas, corn (Zea mays), oats (Avena sativa) and wheat (Triticum vulgare); and the remaining 6.5% by other plant material, including tree buds and flowers. Or take action immediately with one of our current campaigns below: The Audubon Bird Guide is a free and complete field guide to more than 800 species of North American birds, right in your pocket. The coloration renders the adult male rose-breasted grosbeak (even while wintering) unmistakable if seen well. Ohio Ornithological Society (OOS) (2004): International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, "Cardinals, grosbeaks and (tanager) allies", "Winter field notes and specimen weights of Cayman Island Birds", Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, "Nuevos registros e inventario de la avifauna de la Serranía de las Quinchas, un área importante para la conservación de las aves (AICA) en Colombia", "The potential of fruiting trees to enhance converted habitats for migrating birds in southern Mexico", "A preliminary list of the birds of Seneca County, Ohio", rose-breasted-grosbeak-pheucticus-ludovicianus, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rose-breasted_grosbeak&oldid=984769357, Native birds of the Northeastern United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 22 October 2020, at 00:22. 1987. [6][7] The species is monotypic. Adult birds are 18–22 cm (7.1–8.7 in) long, span 29–33 cm (11–13 in) across the wings and weigh 35–65 g (1.2–2.3 oz). In general, though it requires mature woodland to breed and is occasionally caught as a cage bird, the rose-breasted grosbeak is not at all rare, and not considered a threatened species by the IUCN. May be so flimsy that eggs are visible through the nest from below. Females and nonbreeding males are brown above with two white wingbars. About half of annual diet may be insects, including beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, true bugs, and others, also spiders and snails. Males in nonbreeding plumage have largely white underparts, supercilium, and cheeks. Breeding habitat consists of cool-temperate open deciduous woods throughout much of eastern North America, with migration to tropical America in winter. Legal Notices Privacy Policy Contact Us. It’s the least you can do.