Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Habitat
Mid-canopy
Diet
Omnivore
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
42 g
About This Species
Look for this striking grosbeak in the mid-canopy of deciduous woodland edges and shade trees, where the male's rose-red breast patch stands out against black-and-white plumage. Its rich, robin-like song, delivered from a partly concealed perch, often reveals its presence in the tree canopy before it is spotted. Late spring migration and early summer on the breeding grounds in the northern and eastern US and Canada offer the best combination of song activity and visibility.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- View from below the canopy with binoculars rather than approaching the tree it is singing from, especially during the breeding season.
- It is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the US and Canada, which prohibits disturbing nesting birds or their nests.
- Limit time spent near a singing male in early summer, since persistent observation close to a nest site can cause a pair to abandon it.
LCAvesPasseriformesCardinalidae
Seasonal Activity
2,662,236 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cardinalidae
Traits
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Foraging
- Mid-canopy
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 42 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.