Bird guide · Pheucticus ludovicianus
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
What the rose-breasted grosbeak eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Migrant
- Size
- 8 in (20 cm)
- Eats
- black oil sunflower, safflower, fruit
- Feeds
- hopper, tray/platform
- Most common
- Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan
Food
What do rose-breasted grosbeaks eat?
At feeders, rose-breasted grosbeaks take black oil sunflower, safflower, fruit.
Usually forages in trees and shrubs; eats many seeds and berries as well as insects.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do rose-breasted grosbeaks live?
Breeds in leafy woods of the East; migrates at night. By share of all bird sightings, rose-breasted grosbeaks are most common in Iowa (0.7%).
Season
When can you see the rose-breasted grosbeak?
Migrant. Across the US, sightings start in April, peak in May and fade out in October.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are rose-breasted grosbeaks, by month.
Identification
How to identify the rose-breasted grosbeak
Male: Black head and back, white belly, rosy triangle on the chest and big white wing spots.
Female: Brown above and striped below, with a heavy bill and bold face pattern.
Size: 8 in (20 cm)
On camera
Getting the rose-breasted grosbeak on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: questions
What do rose-breasted grosbeaks eat?
At feeders, black oil sunflower, safflower, fruit.
Do rose-breasted grosbeaks migrate?
Migrant. Across the US, sightings start in April, peak in May and fade out in October.
Where do rose-breasted grosbeaks live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois. They are rare or absent in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho.
What does a female rose-breasted grosbeak look like?
Brown above and striped below, with a heavy bill and bold face pattern.
More birds