Rose-breasted Grosbeak

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus, is a large seedeating bird in the same family as the Northern Cardinal.

Adults have dark upperparts, white underparts and a large pale bill. Adult males have a black head, wings and upperparts and a bright rose red patch on their breast; the wings have white patches and rose red linings. Adult females have dark grey upperparts, a white stripe over the eye, streaked underparts and yellowish wing linings.

Their breeding habitat is open deciduous woods across most of Canada and the eastern United States. They build a twig nest in a tree or large shrub.

They migrate to southern Mexico and Central America, and occur as very rare vagrants to western Europe.

These birds forage in shrubs or trees, also catching insects in flight. They mainly eat insects, seeds and berries.

The song resembles a more polished version of the American Robin's.