Black-headed Grosbeak

Pheucticus melanocephalusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Cardinals and Grosbeaks (Cardinalidae)

Codes: Common Name: BHGR Scientific Name: PHEMEL ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179140

Breeding Location:

Forest edge

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Common to fairly common

Egg Color:

Light blue or green with red brown spots

Number of Eggs:

3 - 4

Incubation Days:

12 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Lined with fine material., Sticks, weeds, rootlets, and pine needles.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Black-headed Grosbeak: Large, stocky finch with black-streaked, orange-brown back and black head, wings, and tail. Breast is orange-brown and belly is yellow. Wings have conspicuous white patches. Female and juvenile have white eyebrows and finely streaked, buff underparts. Interbreeds with Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Range and Habitat

Black-headed Grosbeak: Breeds from southwestern Canada east to western North Dakota and Nebraska, and south to the mountains of Mexico. Spends winters in Mexico. Preferred habitats include open, deciduous woodlands near water, such as river bottoms, lakeshores, and swampy places with a mixture of trees and shrubs.

Breeding and Nesting

Black-headed Grosbeak: Three to four light blue or green eggs with red brown spots are laid in a loosely built stick nest lined with rootlets, grass, and leaves, and built among dense foliage on an outer tree limb. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Black-headed Grosbeak: Diet consists of seeds, insects, berries, and fruits; forages in trees, bushes, and on the ground.

Readily Eats

Safflower, Apple Slices, Suet, Millet, Peanut Kernels, Fruit

Vocalization

Black-headed Grosbeak: Call note is an emphatic, sharp "tick", slightly metallic in tone.

Similar Species

Black-headed Grosbeak: Rose-breasted Grosbeak has heavier streaked white to buff underparts and darker upperparts.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Black-headed Grosbeak

Black-headed Grosbeak: Large, stocky finch, black-streaked, orange-brown back, black head, wings, tail. Breast is orange-brown and belly is yellow. Wings have conspicuous white patches. Black legs, feet.Forages on ground and in trees and bushes. Eats insects, caterpillars, seeds, fruits and berries.

● Song: "plik"

● Foraging & Feeding: Black-headed Grosbeak: Diet consists of seeds, insects, berries, and fruits; forages in trees, bushes, and on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Black-headed Grosbeak: Three to four light blue or green eggs with red brown spots are laid in a loosely built stick nest lined with rootlets, grass, and leaves, and built among dense foliage on an outer tree limb. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Black-headed Grosbeak: Rose-breasted Grosbeak has heavier streaked white to buff underparts and darker upperparts.

Flight Pattern

Short flights wih rapid wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Black-headed Grosbeak: Breeds from southwestern Canada east to western North Dakota and Nebraska, and south to the mountains of Mexico. Spends winters in Mexico. Preferred habitats include open, deciduous woodlands near water, such as river bottoms, lakeshores, and swampy places with a mixture of trees and shrubs.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationCommon to fairly common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight1.5 Ounces

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America