Black-headed Grosbeak Photo Gallery
Adult male
Hefty songbird with a very thick conical bill. Adult males are rich orange-cinnamon with a black head and black-and-white wings.
© Bridget Spencer / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, May 24, 2020Female/immature
Relatively large-headed with a short, thick neck and a short tail that imparts a compact, chunky look. Females/immatures have warm orange or buff on the breast. Some have streaks on the sides of the breast.
© Diane Stinson / Macaulay LibraryAlberta, May 28, 2020Adult male
Thick-bodied songbird with a very large, triangular bill. Perches, sings and forages at middle and high levels in trees along edges.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryArizona, May 10, 2006Not all videos have soundFemale/immature
Chunky songbird with a hefty bill. Females/immatures are brown and streaky above with orangish underparts. Note buffy eyebrow and neck.
© Eric Ellingson / Macaulay LibraryWashington, July 09, 2016Female/immature
Females and immatures are warm buff on the undersides with a strongly striped head, huge bill, and brown-and-white back and wings.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, July 29, 1997Not all videos have soundFemale/immature
The amount of streaking on the underparts varies among individuals. This individual has streaked flanks. Note buffy eyebrow and neck, and bicolored bill (dark on top, pale on bottom).
© Jerry Ting / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, April 30, 2017Adult male
Adult males have a streaky black-and-orange back and black wings with white patches.
© Robert Hamilton / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 04, 2017Adult male
The whistled song rises and falls like an American Robin's, but is longer, sweeter, more varied, and less choppy in its phrases. Both males and females sing.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryArizona, May 01, 2006Not all videos have soundFemale/immature
Stocky songbird with a hefty bill. Females/immatures have a warm orange breast with variable amounts of streaking.
© Richard Bunn / Macaulay LibraryOregon, August 11, 2017Males and females/immatures
Often comes to backyard feeders to eat sunflower seeds; may also visit hummingbird or oriole feeders.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryArizona, May 10, 2006Not all videos have soundAdult male
Found in mixed woodlands and edges, mountain forests, thickets along desert streams, backyards, and gardens.
© Curtis Mahon / Macaulay LibraryWashington, May 27, 2017Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Cardinals and Allies(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Cardinalidae)
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