Pine Grosbeak

This large, plump finch inhabits boreal and subalpine coniferous forests across the northern hemisphere, feeding in mid-canopy on buds, seeds and berries, sometimes descending to eat roadside grit or salt. Males show rosy-red plumage while females and immatures are more olive-grey, and small flocks can often be located by their soft, whistled calls as they move through spruce or pine stands. Winter is often the best season to see them at lower elevations or further south, when food scarcity pushes flocks toward more accessible habitat.