This species is very similar in some plumages to Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and the two have been known to hybridize. Alternate Male: Mostly rusty orange breast, flanks, nape, and rump contrast with a black head, black back with pale streaks, black tail with white outer tail feathers, and black wings with large white patches. The belly is yellow and narrows to inverted V on the lower breast, and the undertail coverts are white. The upper mandible is blackish, while the lower mandible is pale gray. In flight, note the large white patch on the base of the primaries and the bright yellow underwing coverts. Adult Female: Upperparts are dark brown, with dark streaks and two whitish wing bars. The dark crown has a whitish median stripe. The dark auriculars are framed by buffy white supercilium and malar stripes. The underparts are pale buff to buffy orange, fading to white on the lower breast, with fine dark streaks along the sides. The bill is bicolored with the upper mandible darker than the lower. Basic Male and first summer male: Shows less black on head and more light streaking on back. First winter males have head pattern similar to adult female. Underparts generally more orange than females, with little or no streaking, but this is variable. First winter males are not always distinguishable from first winter Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Length: 18 (cm) Wingspan: 30 (cm)

Voice:

Song is a whistled warble, similar to an American Robin, but much faster with abbreviated notes. Call is a sharp squeaky pik. Hatch-year birds utter a soft puweeo.

Habitat:

Mixed woodlands, openings in pine forests, riparian woods.

Behavior:

In the breeding season, males sing while performing short display flights with stiff wings and spread tails. Both sexes are known to sing while sitting on the nest.

Feeding:

Gleans insects from foliage. Also takes seeds and fruit. Will use bird feeders.