Grosbeaks

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male)

Keep your eyes out for Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. They arrive en masse in May after traveling from their wintering grounds in Central American and the Caribbean. They commonly stop at backyard feeders to dine on sunflower seeds.

The birds then fan out to forest edges or woodlands to breed. 

For instance, two of these birds were reported at the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve in Northampton County on Friday morning. Also on Friday, another one was seen at the Trexler Nature Preserve in Lehigh County. Earlier in the week, four appeared at Beltzville State Park in Carbon County.

You may find it harder to see Rose-breasted Grosbeaks from June through August. They'll congregate again in large numbers in September before flying south for the winter.

The boldly patterned Rose-breasted Grosbeak is easily identified. The contrast between the pure black back and hood, white front and red bib of the male is striking.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks eat seed, insects, fruit and buds. Their nest is so thinly constructed that the eggs can often be seen from below through the nest. The male participates in the incubation of the eggs. Both sexes sing softly to each other as they exchange places. 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female)

Grosbeaks are any of conical-billed birds belonging to the families Cardinalidae and Fringillidae. Their name is derived from the French gros bec, or "thick beak," denoting their ability to crack seeds with ease.

Red-breasted Grosbeaks are from Cardinalidae, a family that includes the Northern Cardinal. The Black-headed Grosbeak is also part of the family. The two species range east and west of the Rockies, respectively. The Blue Grosbeak is also in this family but is mainly found in shrubby habitats in the southern United States.

In the Great Plains, where territories of Rose-breasted and Black-headed grosbeaks overlap, hybridizing may occur. Hybrids can look like either of the parent species or of various combinations of pink, black or orange.

The Blue Grosbeak, also from the Cardinalidae family, is an occasional visitor to southeastern Pennsylvania during breeding season. They are rarely stray north to the Lehigh Valley. 

The males are vibrantly blue with enormous silver bills and chestnut wing bars. The females are primarily cinnamon-brown. Despite their bright color, males are unobtrusive, perching high in shrubs and small trees.

Evening Grosbeak

In the Fringillidae family, the Evening Grosbeak is the best-known in North America. Noisy flocks of these chunky big-billed yellow, black, brown and white finches descend on feeders in winter for sunflower seeds.

The Evening Grosbeak breeds in coniferous forests in northern United States into Canada. In winter, we may see them at feeders looking for sunflower seeds. Their thick beaks are ideal for cracking sunflower shells and can even crack cherry pits. They may also feast on small fruits and maple seeds, plus insects and small invertebrates.

Evening Grosbeaks are seen locally in some years but not in others, according to the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society's book Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinity.

The Pine Grosbeak of northern North America forages in small flocks and sometimes flies great distances in winter for natural food. Adult males are bright reddish brown; females are mostly brown. A large finch, it may be seen in the winter in southern Canada and the northern United States including Pennsylvania. Its diet consists mostly of buds, seeds and fruits of spruce, pine, juniper, maple, mountain ash, and apple and crabapple trees. 

A breeding adult Pine Grosbeak develops pouches in the floor of its mouth to carry food to the young.

So "grosbeak" links characteristics—thick, strong beaks—of birds who may or may not be cousins.

Blue Grosbeak (male)

Pine Grosbeak (male)