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Black-headed Grosbeak

Pheucticus melanocephalus ORDER: PASSERIFORMES FAMILY: CARDINALIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

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Black-headed Grosbeak Photo

© Hal Brown / CLO

A common and familiar bird of the American West, the Black-headed Grosbeak can be found in mountain forests, along desert streams, or in backyards and gardens. The male and female differ greatly in their plumage, with the male being a flashy black, white, and cinnamon, and the female a drab buff and brown.

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Appearance

Finchlike
Finchlike
Typical Voice

Adult Description

  • Medium-sized, stocky songbird.
  • Large, thick, bicolored, cone-shaped bill.
  • White flash in wings in flight.
  • Male distinctive with black face, orangish chest, belly, nape, and rump.

Male Description

Breeding (Alternate) Plumage:Head black (sometimes broken by partial or complete eyestripe of bright cinnamon); wings and tail black with sharply contrasting white spots; breast, rump, nape, and flanks brilliant cinnamon; and a patch of lemon-yellow on belly.
Nonbreeding (Basic) Plumage: similar, but dark feathers tipped with buff, hiding much of plumage pattern.

Female Description

Head brown with buffy to white (occasionally lemon-yellow) crown and eyestripe, a pale chin, brown wings and tail with indistinct buffy spots, and heavily streaked body plumage that is dull cinnamon to buff with variable amounts of yellow.

Immature Description

Similar to adult female. First-year males variable, from very female-like to closely resembling adult male.

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Similar Species

  • Purple Finch female resembles female Black-headed Grosbeak, but is smaller, smaller headed, has a distinct moustache stripe, a dark bill, and lacks white in wings.
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak male is distinctive with red chest, white belly, and black hood, but the female is very similar to female Black-headed Grosbeak. Rose-breasted Grosbeak has darker, thicker, and more extensive streaking on the underparts, especially in center of breast, is more white on head and nape, has buffy yellow rather than lemon-yellow wing linings, and an all pale bill.