Perching Birds
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus
ludovicianus
Description
8" (20 cm). Starling-sized. Heavy
pinkish-white bill. Male black and white with conspicuous rose-red
patch on breast and underwings. Female white above and below with
heavy brown streaking; prominent white eyebrow; yellow wing
linings.
Voice
Its distinctive call note is a sharp,
penetrating, metallic eek-eek. Song is like that of an American
Robin, but softer and more melodious.
Habitat
Moist woodlands adjacent to open fields
with tall shrubs; also old and overgrown orchards.
Nesting
4 or 5 purple-spotted whitish eggs in a
loosely made nest of twigs, grass, and plant fibers set in a low
branch of a tree.
Range
Breeds from northeastern British Columbia,
southern Manitoba, and Nova Scotia south to southern Alberta,
central North Dakota, central Oklahoma, and New Jersey, and in
mountains as far south as northern Georgia. Appears regularly on
West Coast. Winters from central Mexico through Central America and
into northern South America.
Discussion
This handsome grosbeak is one of the
most conspicuous birds before the foliage comes into full leaf in
early May. It is beneficial to farmers, consuming many potato
beetles and larvae as well as weed seeds, wild fruits, and
buds.
Perching Birds