The Grosbeaks

A sure sign of spring in the Willamette Valley is the arrival of the Grosbeaks. The new season brings us two species - the Black-headed Grosbeak arrives in May from its Mexican wintering grounds and the Evening Grosbeak invades our cities from southern Oregon and California. Despite differing habitat preferences, both species are possible in your backyard and are attracted to a feeder filled with Black Oil Sunflower seeds

Article by Laura Whittemore

Black-headed Grosbeak on Sunflower Chip Feeder photographed by a Backyard Bird Shop customer (top photo)
Evening Grosbeak photographed by Rick Brumble (lower photo)

They share the name Grosbeak, meaning “large beak”, and they can crack sunflower seed shells efficiently and rapidly!  Our two Grosbeak family members differ in several ways. The Black-headed is a somewhat shy, retiring bird with the male sporting a black head, orange chest and white spots in the wings. His song is loud and lively, reminiscent of the Robin’s cheery, singsong voice.  The Evening Grosbeak, on the other hand, is a gregarious bird, traveling in large, noisy flocks that fly from treetop to treetop or backyard to backyard, quickly consuming all the seeds it can before moving on. Its huge, conical beak coupled with bright yellow plumage make birders wonder if they’ve come across a giant goldfinch!
Although superficially similar in beak size, scientists classify these birds in two different families. The Black-headed Grosbeak is a member of the family Cardinalidae, a family that includes the iconic red Northern Cardinal, found east of the Rocky Mountains. The Evening Grosbeak belongs to the family Fringillidae, the family that includes all the finches. Its beak is one of the most powerful in nature and can crack a cherry pit.
The habitat and diet preferences of each bird differ as well. A stream-side deciduous forest is ideal for a nesting Black-headed Grosbeak pair, while higher elevation conifers are where you’ll find the nest of the Evening Grosbeak. Black-headeds consume a high percentage of insects, in addition to seeds and fruits, whereas Evenings consume far fewer insects in favor of seeds from maples, box elders, and conifers.
So watch for the Grosbeaks at your sunflower feeder.  You may have to refill it a bit more often when they’re around—with those big beaks, those shells don’t stand a chance!