Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Black-faced Grosbeak

Caryothraustes poliogaster

The Black-faced Grosbeak, Caryothraustes poliogaster, presents a striking figure with its robust, predominantly black bill. This bird is easily recognized by its contrasting black face, vibrant yellow head, neck, and breast, complemented by an olive back, wings, and tail. The rump and belly are a subtle grey, while immatures exhibit a more subdued palette and less distinct facial markings.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Black-faced Grosbeak, look for the characteristic heavy bill and the distinct coloration of the face and underparts. The adult's black face and yellow front are unmistakable, while the immature birds may require a closer look due to their duskier facial features.

Habitat

This species thrives in the dense wet forests of Central America, favoring the canopy and middle levels. It is also found in tall secondary growth and semi-open areas such as woodland edges and clearings, from sea level up to 1000 meters in altitude.

Distribution

The Black-faced Grosbeak is a resident breeding bird that ranges from southeastern Mexico to eastern Panama, a testament to the rich biodiversity of the Central American lowlands and foothills.

Behaviour

In its natural habitat, the Black-faced Grosbeak is known to form noisy flocks, sometimes comprising up to 20 individuals. It often joins mixed-species feeding flocks, mingling with honeycreepers, other tanagers, and New World warblers. While it generally avoids human-altered environments, it can occasionally be found in degraded subtropical or tropical forests.

Song & calls

The vocal repertoire of this species includes sharp "chip" or "tweet" calls, buzzes, and whistles. Its song is a melodious whistled sequence of "cher chi weet, cher chir weet, cher chi chuweet," adding a musical ambiance to its habitat.

Breeding

Breeding takes place in the lush Central American environment, where the female constructs a nest from bromeliad leaves and other epiphytes, 3 to 6 meters above ground in a small tree or palm. The breeding season sees the laying of three brown-spotted grey-white eggs, typically between April and June.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Black-faced Grosbeak is varied, including beetles, caterpillars, and other insects, as well as fruits like those of the gumbo-limbo tree. It also consumes seeds and nectar, which it may take directly from flowers or from the bracts of epiphytes.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-faced Grosbeak as Least Concern, indicating that, currently, there are no immediate threats to its population levels that would warrant a higher degree of conservation action.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Black-faced Grosbeaks on Birda

Sightings
A map showing the sighting location
🐓
James M
02 Mar 2024 - 2:18pm
Costa Rica

More Cardinals & Allies

A photo of a Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) , male

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
BCHphotography_
Such a great app!
I didn’t think I could enjoy birding more but this app makes it so much better. Some great features and a really great way to share your sightings with your friends or fellow birders nearby or around the world! ❤️
Alex J
Friendly and helps to identify birds
Great birding app, good for logging your sightings, also has nice species guide. I'm enjoying the social aspect more than I expected, everyone seems friendly and helps to identify unknown birds. Good mix of newbies and experienced users.
Dan R
Great app for bird fanatics
Great app for bird fanatics - very user friendly and a perfect place to share sightings.
Mike T
Sense of Community
A great app, which is continually being improved. What really comes through is the passion of those behind the app. The sense of community is brilliant, so much help and support provided to new and/or in experienced birders.
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.