black-headed grosbeak

The black-headed grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) is a bird native to western North America. Adult males are characterized by a black head, orange-brown neck and rump, and yellow belly and under-wing parts. Females are primarily brown.1

Grosbeaks, in general, are birds with thick, conical beaks adapted for cracking seeds. They belong to the families Cardinalidae and Fringillidae. In North America, the evening grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus) is well-known for its noisy flocks and adaptation to bird feeders, expanding its range eastward. The pine grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) inhabits northern Eurasia and North America, foraging on berries and sometimes migrating great distances in winter.2

Within the Cardinalidae family, both the rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) and the black-headed grosbeak (P. melanocephalus) nest in North America, with ranges east and west of the Rockies, respectively. Some experts consider them to be the same species, noting differences in male underpart coloration: red and white in the rose-breasted grosbeak and brownish-yellow in the black-headed grosbeak.2