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I saw a black-and-white bird at my feeder with a red triangle on the breast. What is it?

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are handsome migrants that turn up in eastern and central backyards in the spring. Photo by Sue Bishop via Birdshare.
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are handsome migrants that turn up in eastern and central backyards in the spring. Photo by Sue Bishop via Birdshare.

We always know spring is here when we get this question. It means the Rose-breasted Grosbeak is migrating north. We follow its migration as emails arrive, first from Florida and then a few days later from South Carolina or Tennessee. Take a look at the All About Birds Online Bird Guide and you’ll learn more about this beautiful migrant.

You can also try to identify a mystery bird by using our Merlin Bird ID app. The Merlin app asks a series of questions, like where you are located, and the colors of the bird, and then gives you a list of possible birds you may be seeing.

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American Kestrel by Blair Dudeck / Macaulay Library