Black-headed Grosbeak

The 19 cm long, 47 g weight Black-headed Grosbeak is a migratory bird, with nesting grounds from southwestern British Columbia, through the western half of the United States, into central Mexico. It occurs as an accidental further south in Central America.

The Black-headed Grosbeak is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

As their name suggests, Black-headed Grosbeaks have massive bills. The upper mandible is dark gray, while the lower is paler. Young birds resemble adult females, although young males may show brighter cinnamon underparts than females. Males often do not reach full adult plumage until they are almost two years old. The song of Black-headed Grosbeaks is a loud, rolling warble, similar to the song of an American Robin, but not as smooth. Their call note is a high sharp PWEEK. More

Black-headed Grosbeaks are typically found in broadleaved or mixed forests, and especially in brushy, riparian areas. They are generally not found in coniferous vegetation, but will inhabit patches of broadleaved trees and shrubs within conifer forests, including streamside corridors, wetlands, and suburban areas. back to top Behavior - Black-headed Grosbeaks sing their robin-like song from conspicuous perches, and forage in the foliage. More

Black-headed Grosbeak is a familiar harbinger of spring. This species breeds from subalpine forests to desert riparian zones throughout western North America from southwestern Canada to southern Mexico. Relatively tolerant of human disturbance, it breeds in yards and gardens if adequate cover for nesting and feeding is available. Along river corridors in the Great Plains, the range of the Black-headed Grosbeak overlaps that of the closely related Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), and the two species are known to hybridize. More

The Black-headed Grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus, is a medium-size seed-eating bird in the same family as the Northern Cardinal, the Cardinalidae. It is sometimes considered conspecific with the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, P. ludovicianus, with which it hybridises on the Great Plains. The 19 cm long, 47 g weight Black-headed Grosbeak is a migratory bird, with nesting grounds from southwestern British Columbia, through the western half of the United States, into central Mexico. It occurs as an accidental further south in Central America. More

The Black-headed Grosbeak is a small migratory bird which lives in a wide range, spanning from southwestern British Columbia to the western half of the United States, to central Mexico and rarely Central America. During the winter months, this species typically flies to Mexico to dine on the poisonous Monarch butterfly and berries. This species has an affinity for deciduous and mixed woodlands, favoring areas with large trees and numerous shrubs. They also tend to avoid coniferous woodlands. More

I got wind of the Black-headed Grosbeak on Saturday when my sister Jennie arrived at my apartment. We headed out to the location and met Jack & Joyce Armstrong there. After 10-15 minutes we had excellent views of the bird in the black walnut (?) tree to the right of the garage of a residence east of Rockford (directions below). Unfortunately, I failed to get a photo as the bird flew when I attempted to get the camera out. More

The Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) is a species of bird. It belongs in the family Cardinalidae. It is a medium sized, seed-eating bird. It is 18-19 cm long. It weights 35-49 g. The Black-headed Grosbeak is a migratory bird. It has nesting grounds from southwestern British Columbia, through the western half of the United States, into central Mexico. It occurs as an Introduced species further south in Central America. Other websites - Commons-logo. More

Black-headed Grosbeak Range MapView dynamic map of eBird sightings Field MarksHelp - * Adult malePopOutZoom In Adult male * © Hal Brown / CLO * FemalePopOutZoom In Female * © Hal Brown / CLO Similar Species - More

The Black-headed Grosbeak's approximate length is 18-19 cm or 6-1/2 to 7-3/4 inches in length; it is similar in size to a Common Starling. As per its name the male has a black head. It also has black wings and tail with prominent white patches. Its breast is dark to tawny orange in color. Its belly is yellow. The female has a brown head, neck and back with sparrow-like black streaks. More

The Black-headed Grosbeak prefers to live in deciduous and mixed wooded areas. It likes to be in areas where there are large trees as well as thick bushes, such as patches of broadleaved trees and shrubs within conifer forests, including streamside corridors, river bottoms, lakeshores, wetlands, and suburban areas. It also seems to avoid coniferous vegetation. More

Like clockwork, male Black-headed Grosbeaks arrive every spring on nearly the exact day - April 26 every year. The juveniles from last year and the females wait a week or so before they arrive. The arrival of these tropical-looking birds is a sign that spring is here. Because their bills are so large, strong, and powerful, they have a broad range of food choices. They can eat soft berries to very hard seeds. More

Bent Life History for the Black-headed Grosbeak - the common name and sub-species reflect the nomenclature in use at the time the description was written. BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK PHEUCTICUS MELANOCEPHALUS MACULATUS (Audubon) HABITS From the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast the handsome black-headed grosbeak replaces our familiar rose-breasted grosbeak of the eastern States. More

Black-headed Grosbeak, female on branch Join a Discussion: Birds & Birding Watch tigers prowl, play and preen... More

The Black-headed Grosbeak's monogamy is under study, but pair bonds generally last for only one breeding season. They typically have one brood per season, though double-broods have been documented in foothills of the Sacramento Valley in California. The Grosbeak More

black-headed grosbeak a common summer resident in Lincoln County, present 3 May to 15 September. Rosche (1979) found this species only twice (in May and August) in the lower North Platte River Valley. Breeding Range: A common nesting species on the Western Plain and in the Platte River Valley west of Dawson County. Fairly common and locally distributed along the Platte River east to Merrick County. Uncommon and local in the Sandhills and on the Eastern Plain. More

Black-headed Grosbeaks are one of the very few birds that will consume Monarch Butterflies, which normally are too noxious for birds to consume. A male is shown in the photo on the right. A photo of a female can be found at the bottom of the page. Habitat: Primarily deciduous forests, woodlands, and groves. Sometimes found in mixed forest, rarely in pure coniferous forest. Diet: Insects, seeds, fruits, and berries. More