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Evening Grosbeak

Coccothraustes vespertinus ORDER: PASSERIFORMES FAMILY: FRINGILLIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Large and brightly colored, the Evening Grosbeak is a noticeable winter visitor to bird feeders during irruption years. When a flock settles down to feed, it can clean out a surprisingly large amount of sunflower seeds in a short time.

Appearance

Finches

Typical Voice

Adult Description

Large, robust finch.
Tail relatively short.
Heavy conical bill pale greenish yellow.
Large white patch in wing obvious in flight.

Male Description

Brownish black head with black crown. Yellow forehead and eyestripe (supercillium). Wing, tail, and upper tail coverts black. Dark brown nape fading to yellow on back. Secondaries and coverts white, creating large square white patch on back of wing in flight. Dark brownish throat fades to brownish-yellow underparts, becoming brightest under tail. Legs pink.

Female Description

Head and upperparts mostly grayish brown. Weak dark malar stripe. Yellowish wash on sides of neck. Uppertail coverts black with white spotting. Wings and tail black with white and gray patches in wing. Throat and underparts pale grayish brown. White under tail.

Immature Description

Juveniles similar to female.

Range Map Help

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Field MarksHelp

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Adult male
- In most of U.S., most frequently seen in winter
- Large-headed finch with massive bill
- Males are mostly yellow with yellow eyebrow stripe
- Males have black wings with large white patch in secondaries
- © Vicki Blitz, Washington, May 2009
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Males (left), female (right)
- Massive, pale bill, large head, stocky body
- Males have brown heads, yellow bodies, yellow eyestripe
- Males have striking black and white patches in wing
- Females are gray with faint yellow collar
- Females have smaller white wing patches; white in tail
- © M.L. Milne/PFW, January 2004
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Female
- Large (robin-sized), chunky-bodied finch
- Massive, conical, pale bill
- Gray-brown overall, with yellow collar
- Black wings and tail patched with white
- © Mary Fran, March 2009
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Adult male
- Large-headed finch with very large bill
- Mostly tawny or golden yellow with brighter "eyebrows"
- Among finches, only grosbeaks have bill this large and thick
- © Vicki Blitz, Washington