"I saw a rose-breasted grosbeak at my feeder today."
I often hear this from birdwatchers, and why shouldn't they proclaim this good fortune?
It's not every day that our yards are graced with the striking beauty of a male grosbeak, all decked out in a formal black coat, white shirt and rose-colored cravat.
Grosbeaks were here in May, but this time of year, we get a second chance.
Rose-breasted grosbeaks use our area only as a feeding and rest stop between their winter and summer residences. In the winter, they enjoy the warm weather of places such as Cuba, Costa Rica and Venezuela. Their summer-breeding range includes most of the Northeast and upper Midwest and parts of Canada.
But you also can find them nesting much closer in the deciduous woods of the Blue Ridge Mountains, perhaps as close as western Wilkes or Surry counties.
As with many bird species, the male rose-breasted grosbeak has bold colors while the female has a subdued pattern that allows concealment during nesting season. The male's black head and back contrast sharply with white stomach and wing patches; the rosy, triangular bib; and a large, conical bill that is silver. In fall migration, the rose bib may appear pale.
The female has a brown back, a coarsely streaked white chest that turns a pale buff in fall, thin white wing bars and a brown face marked with a white eye stripe. First-year males are similar in appearance but with finer streaks on an almost-orange chest.
Especially in fall, first-year males can be confused with their Western cousin, the black-headed grosbeak. Moreover, the two species are known to interbreed. But confirmed reports of black-headed ones in North Carolina are rare. Females can be confused with female purple finches, which also visit our area but only from November to April. The finch is smaller and has no white on its wings.
Rose-breasted grosbeaks have a pleasant warbling song that has been described like that of a robin benefiting from voice lessons. The males love to perch on the limb of a large tree, often near the nest, and sing their hearts out.
In addition, males and females sing softly to one another as they share egg-incubation duties. As described at www.allaboutbirds.org, they also offer a note that sounds like a squeaking gym shoe. Another bird with a similar song is the blue grosbeak, which breeds here during the summer. The blue grosbeak prefers scrubby and grassy habitats to big, leafy trees.
Although rose-breasted grosbeaks visit seed feeders, what they really like are lots of insects they glean from tree leaves and branches.
In the fall, they add berries, grapes and other small fruits that are available. Look for them at the edges of woods as they forage in the morning sun at parks and greenways. The greenway and colonial garden areas at Historic Bethabara Park are likely spots for easy viewing. In spring, also watch for them as you walk through the wooded areas of Reynolda House or Tanglewood Park.
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