Black-headed Grosbeak, Male

Black-headed Grosbeak

Pheucticus melanocephalus

The Black-headed Grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus, is a medium-sized, robust bird with a conical bill adapted for seed consumption. Males are striking with their black heads and black wings and tail adorned with white patches. Their breasts range from dark to tawny orange, transitioning to a yellow belly. Females, on the other hand, are more subdued in coloration, with brown heads, necks, and backs marked by sparrow-like streaks. They feature white streaks above the eyes and on the cheeks, with a white breast and grayish-brown wings that have two white bars and yellowish edges.

Identification Tips

Length: 7.1–7.5 inches (18–19 cm)
Weight: 1.2–1.7 ounces (34–48 g)
Wingspan: 12.6 inches (32 cm)
Males have a black head, wings, and tail with white patches, an orange to yellow breast, and a yellow belly.
Females are brown with streaks and have white and yellowish markings on their wings.

Habitat

This species thrives in deciduous and mixed woodlands, favoring areas with large trees and dense underbrush. They are often found in broadleaved trees and shrubs within conifer forests, along streams, river bottoms, lakeshores, wetlands, and even suburban locales.

Distribution

The Black-headed Grosbeak breeds from southwestern British Columbia through the western half of the United States and into central Mexico. It is occasionally seen as a vagrant further south in Central America.

Behaviour

These grosbeaks are known for their prominent singing from high perches. Both sexes sing with distinct songs and may even vocalize from the nest during incubation. Males display courtship behavior by spreading their wings and tails in flight. They forage in foliage, on the ground, or in low vegetation, and are particularly fond of berries.

Song & Calls

The song of the Black-headed Grosbeak is a melodious warble, reminiscent of an American robin but more fluent and mellow, with a series of rising and falling notes. Their call is a sharp "ik" or "eek." Both males and females sing, with the female's song being distinct from the male's.

Breeding

Nests are built by females in dense foliage on outer branches of tall trees or shrubs, typically 3–35 feet above ground. The nest is saucer-shaped, composed of grass, twigs, bark, and needles, and lined with finer materials. Females lay 2-5 pale green, blue, or gray eggs with reddish-brown spots, incubated by both parents for 12-14 days. Fledglings leave the nest after about 11-12 days but remain flightless for an additional two weeks. Both parents feed the young. Monogamy is not well understood in this species, but pair bonds seem to last only one breeding season. They usually have one brood per year, though two broods have been observed in some areas.

Diet and Feeding

The diet consists of seeds, berries, insects, spiders, and fruit. Notably, the Black-headed Grosbeak can safely consume the toxic monarch butterfly, thanks to physiological insensitivity to the butterfly's cardiac glycosides. They are also visitors to bird feeders, where they enjoy sunflower seeds, other seed types, fruit, and grape jelly.