rose-breasted grosbeak

of rose-breasted grosbeaks.

Once again, the male rose breasted grosbeak takes the cake with his brilliantly sharp colors while the female wears bland non-descript browns. The male has black head and back, white patches on his black wings, a white tummy and a rosy red patch on his breast, which gives him part of his name. He has a black tail with white inner feathers. The female, in contrast, has a brownish head and back with dark steaks. She has a white belly with brown streaks and white lines marking her eyebrow and throat. She has white marks on her wings. Juveniles have the same look as the females. They almost look like sparrows, but with the distinct wing marks and distinct white beak.
The rose-breasted grosbeak is a few inches smaller than a Robin, but is a member of the Cardinal family. They can be found alone or in pairs. They are monogamous birds. When choosing a mate, males and females rub their beaks affectionately.
These birds have 1-2 broods per year, consistenting of 3-5 pale green or blue eggs with brown marks. The baby rose-breasted grosbeaks stay in the nest for 9-12 days. Their nests are made of twigs and leaves and typically found 5-15 feet off the ground in trees or shrubs.
Rose-breasted grosbeaks generally forage in bushes and trees. They like to eat berries, seeds and insects. They are found in the Northeast quadrant of the United States as well as in Canada, ranging almost to the west coast. In the winter they migrate down into