
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.
Field Notes

This is the third year (2010, 2011 and 2012) I have observed Black-headed Grosbeak males in what I would describe as a lek at Salish Pond. Observed four adult males displaying for one female. Males singing and displaying for female from unusually open perches. Males singing from top of dead trees and area free of foliage below the crown of large old willow. Males chasing each other. Female resting on large willow branch preening.
Citation: Personal Experience. I observe this occasionally, confident.

This species is a molt migrant, thus it does not complete its pre-basic molt before initiating southbound migration. Many birds migrate a short distance and stop when they find a stable food supply, where they will remain until their prebasic molt is completed and migration resumes. In late summer (mid-July to mid-August) it is not uncommon for this species to show up in residential areas where they do not breed and remain there for a period of weeks. Most will be gone by the 1st of September. At one house, we allowed volunteer sunflowers to grow in abundance and each summer we would get 8-10 Black-headed Grosbeaks hanging around the yard in late summer. This migration/molt strategy occurs in several species that breed in the interior of western North America where late summers tend to be dry and early summer food sources tend to get depleted.
Citation: Personal Experience. I observe this regularly, highly confident.
Expanded Life History
Feed Ecology And Diet | Contribute Content |
Nesting Habits | Contribute Content |
Migration Status | Contribute Content |
Conservation Status | Contribute Content |
Local Sites to Spot | Contribute Content |
Abundance Status | Contribute Content |
Adult Male Description | Contribute Content |
Adult Female Description | Contribute Content |
ITIS Taxonomic Number | Contribute Content |
Sonogram | Contribute Content |
Courtship | Contribute Content |
Reproductive Characteristics | Contribute Content |
Relationship to Humans | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Size & Shape | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Color & Pattern | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Habitat | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Behavior | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Wingspan | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Weight | Contribute Content |
Breeding | Contribute Content |
Cool Facts | Contribute Content |
Local Knowledge | Contribute Content |
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Sightings
Date | Submitted By | Count |
---|---|---|
08/07/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/07/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
07/24/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
07/24/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
07/17/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
07/17/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
07/10/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
07/10/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
07/03/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
07/03/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
06/26/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
06/26/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
06/19/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
06/19/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
06/19/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
Recent Activity
Activity | Date & Time |
---|---|
Maya Mudd added Black-headed Grosbeak to their Hillsdale smart list | 6/04/2012 at 10:50PM |
Keith K. added Black-headed Grosbeak to their Hillsdale, OR smart list | 5/13/2012 at 9:14PM |
Sandy Leaptrott added a note to Black-headed Grosbeak Notes | 5/13/2012 at 5:29PM |
Jacob Parks added Black-headed Grosbeak to their Log House smart list | 11/02/2011 at 12:35AM |
Dave Irons added a Behavior note to Black-headed Grosbeak Behavior Notes | 8/15/2010 at 6:27PM |
This is something that I will have to look for, as I have not noticed this behavior. This is definitely an interesting observation.