Pheucticus
melanocephalus
(Black-headed Grosbeak)
Physical
Description:
6 1/2-8 1/4" (17-22 cm).
Black head and wings; head may have
some white or rust; wings have white markings. Rust breast that extends around
collar; pale belly; pale bill; black tail with white markings. Female is duller;
fine black and buff
stripes on head.
Similar Species- Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Song:
Robin-like
song with addition of some whirring and spik sounds; much longer than American
Robin.
Distribution:
Breeds
from portions of western Canada, northeastern Montana, and northwestern North
Dakota, south along Pacific Coast to northern Baja California, central and southeastern
Arizona, and eastern New Mexico, east through portions of Midwest, and further
south into mainland of Mexico. Winters in Mexico.
Habitat:
Found in deciduous forests and woodlands,
pine/oak associations, oak scrub, pinyon/juniper woodlands, and deciduous thickets.
Often found on edges of ponds, streams, or forests. Results of an Idaho study
in cottonwood forest indicated grosbeaks were most strongly associated with
willow subcanopies and avoided grazed areas.
Diet:
Feeds on insects,
spiders, berries, seeds, and buds.
Ecology:
Builds cup-shaped nest in tree, or sometimes
in shrub. Forages in crowns of deciduous trees, in shrubs, and
on ground. Both male and female defend nesting territory against other breeding
pairs. In New Mexico, jays are primary nest predators.
3- 4 eggs for 12-13 days.
Nestlings are altricial and downy, are tended
by both parents, and leave nest in 9-12 days.
Conservation:
| Element Code: | ABPBX61040 |
| Status: | Protected nongame species |
| Global Rank: | G5 |
| State Rank: | S5,NTMB |
| National Rank: | N5B |
Important
State References:
Saab, V.A. 1996. Influence
of spatial scale and land management on habitat use by breeding birds in cottonwood
forests of southeastern Idaho. Ph.D. Dissertation, Univ. Colorado, Boulder.
140pp.