C Color · Wave 2

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Striking black-white-rose spring migrant; sweet robin-like song.

At a glance

Size: Length about 8 in (20 cm). (Audubon Description.)
Habitat: Deciduous woods, orchards, groves. Breeds mostly in open deciduous woods, sometimes in mixed woods, favoring edges or openings with combination of shrubs and…
Diet: Mostly insects, seeds, and berries. About half of annual diet may be insects, including beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, true bugs, and others, also…

Range: Tends to migrate relatively late in spring and early in fall. Migrates at night. Strays appear widely in West during spring and fall.

Nesting: Male sings to defend nesting territory, and may fight actively with intruding males. In courtship, male may partly spread wings and tail, draw head back, and approach female while singing. Nest:…

Hear this bird

General call / song: Its distinctive call note is a sharp, penetrating, metallic eek-eek. Song is like that of an American Robin, but softer and more melodious. Call Pattern Complex, Undulating Call Type Chirp/Chip, Flute, Whistle

Mating / display: Courtship behaviors described on Audubon Nesting section; distinct mating call often not separately labeled.

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Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide

How to know it

Habitat: Deciduous woods, orchards, groves. Breeds mostly in open deciduous woods, sometimes in mixed woods, favoring edges or openings with…
Diet: Mostly insects, seeds, and berries. About half of annual diet may be insects, including beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, true bugs,…
Nesting: Male sings to defend nesting territory, and may fight actively with intruding males. In courtship, male may partly spread wings and tail,…

Behavior

Contact/alarm notes included in Audubon Songs and Calls summary where listed; see Cornell /sounds for labeled examples.

Fun facts

Striking black-white-rose spring migrant; sweet robin-like song.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text or short paraphrases with source links. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.