Wild Bird Profile: The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

Characteristics: Rose-breasted grosbeaks are large finches with very large bills and easily identified by their plumage. Males are black and white with a bright pink patch on their breast and inside their wings. Females are olive-brown with a distinct pale supercilium on their face and their breasts are streaky. First summer males are similar to males but have browner plumage and a duller pink patch on their breast.

Distribution: RB grosbeaks breed throughout the northeastern U.S. (from the Great Plains to New England) and in central Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia). They also breed along the Appalachian mountain range. During the winter, they breed in southern Pacific slope and Gulf Slope of Mexico, the rest of Central America, and northern South America.

Movement: Based on banding data, RB grosbeaks breeding in the eastern U.S. winter in eastern Central America and South America and western breeders are found in Mexico and western Central America. Migratory flights are typically during the night.

Food: During the breeding season, RB grosbeaks eat equal amounts of insect matter and vegetable matter including fruit and seeds. During the fall, they eat primarily fruits. RB grosbeaks are often found at feeders with black-oil sunflower seeds. They will use tube feeders as well as platforms feeders.

Sound: The male RB grosbeak song sounds incredibly similar to scarlet tanagers and American robins. The song is extremely melodic with a few pauses. The grosbeak song has few pauses compared to robins and is less crass compared to tanagers.
Nesting: Males will arrive to their breeding grounds before females in May. They have eggs and nestlings between May and July and generally have only one brood. Nests are open cups and their eggs are typically pale blue or green with brownish speckles.

Similar species: Rose-breasted grosbeaks are closely related to the black-headed grosbeak but looks entirely different. They will breed (hybridize) with each other where their ranges overlap.

Interesting fact: If you open the wings of the grosbeaks, you will see a bright orange (female) or bright pink patch of feathers. This is rarely seen without the bird in the hand.

Winter Care for Wild Birds

Here in Michigan and other temperate climates, winter survival is everything for wild birds. The search for food starts at dawn and continues till dusk. If a bird is able to eat enough, it will store enough energy to survive a cold winter's night. It then starts all over for another day.

Wild birds or backyard birds depend on every seed, berry or insect it may find. With the continual decline of natural habitats, birds need our helping hands.

Caring and feeding for wild birds helps them to survive the winter and also gives you a sense of doing good. Helping out nature instead of taking from her.

Birds require food, fresh water, shelter from the elements and protection from predators.

FOOD: High energy food is important. Suet, peanuts, black oil sunflower seed all high energy food high in fat and protein. Nyjer thistle is a high source of energy for finches as well.

Cage feeders are designed to hold suet cakes, Tube and hopper feeders are designed to accommodate a variety of birds. Platform and peanut feeders are also available.

Pack down an area and toss some cracked corn and white millet for the ground scratching birds to enjoy.

FRESH WATER: I emphasize FRESH WATER here. With a lack of natural water sources available in cold winter months, water can be scarce. Fresh water even more so. While birds will and do eat snow, this drives down their body temperature and uses valuable energy to melt the snow and warm back up.

Offer up some water with a heated birdbath or put a heater in your current bath. heaters cost no more to run the a light bulb and can save a birds life. Look for heaters that come with a minimum three year guarantee.

SHELTER: From the harsh winter winds and a place to snuggle. Use your old Christmas tree, or hang a roosting box. Plant lots of bushes and trees for your birds to roost in. Evergreens work wonders here as a wind brake and protection from snow fall.

Most birds will die at night from a lack of food, water and protection. Food and water are life's essentials, protection helps your birds to conserve vital calories.

PROTECTION: Birds need to feel safe from danger and offering protection will keep your birds coming back. Place your feeders and Fresh water source near trees and bushes. Out in the pen. Enough for your birds to see if hawks are around and away from places where cats might hide.

By placing your feeding stations 10 to 20 feet from trees and shrubs, your birds have an open view and can escape most attacks from the air or the ground.

Research shows that birds get 25% of their food from human sources. How important is that 25% on any given winter's night?

Backyard birding is a healthy hobby for all and just about anyone can feed the birds. A hobby that can last a lifetime.

Year Round Care for Wild Birds

Caring for wild birds has come a long way in the past 40 years. Tossing out bread crumbs and maybe some cracked corn onto the snow covered ground. Maybe a simple feeder or two. That was good enough for most of us. Today we have a plethora of feeders and gadgets to chose from and we are creating backyard habitats.

40 years ago, as an 11 year old boy I was grinding Indian corn with my mom's hand crank meat grinder. I placed the cracked corn on a crude platform feeder I had made from a piece of plywood and some old floor molding. Feeding birds seemed to be a winter only thing. Now I care for birds year round. I have several feeders, squirrel baffles, water sources and my own little backyard habitat.

Much of the credit goes to the father of modern day ornithology, the late Roger Tory Peterson. Peterson brought birding to the fore front with his life long studies, his books and art work. Today, others like Donald and Lillian Stokes and George Harrison continue to bring us the joys and education on wild birds.

Basics:

There are four basics to attracting birds to your yard. A food source, fresh water, protection and a place to build a nest.

1. Food sources can be as simple as a feeder pr two. Black oil sunflower seed will attract the greatest variety of desirable birds to your yard.

2. Fresh water will attract some birds quicker then a feeder might. A birdbath, old pie pan or saucer to a flower pot will work.

3. Protection is a necessity if you want birds to feed and bathe in your yard. Birds need to feel safe from predators. It is important to place food and water in the open, yet close to trees and shrubs for that quick get away when needed.

4. Nesting sites can be a simple nest box properly located, to several trees and shrubs birds find to their liking.

Beyond:

1. Feeders are now designed for specific birds and to keep squirrels and larger birds at bay. There are finch feeders, woodpecker feeders, nectar feeders and suet feeders. Feeders can be tubes, platforms or hoppers. Feed is custom blended to help attract certain species of birds in your area. Plant native flowers, shrubs and trees that offer seed, nuts, berries nectar.

2. Fresh water is important, especially in the winter months when open water is hard to find. There are heaters and heated birdbaths, eating snow is not a good option as it lowers the birds body temperature wasting needed energy. Moving water attracts birds quicker and might surprise you with a rare sight of a migrator that may not have stopped otherwise. Consider a dripper, mister, or a bird creek for birds to drink and bathe in.

3. Help protect you feathered friends by placing food and water sources 10 to 20 feet from shrubs and trees. Make sure there is no undergrowth for cats to hide. Birds need to bathe and preen. A wet bird is a slow bird. A tree branch to hop on or shrub to hide in is the safety they need.

4. Build a backyard habitat. Offer nesting sites and materials by adding shrubs, small trees, flowers and grasses to your yard. Be sure to have a combination of evergreens and deciduous plantings. Provide nest boxes with proper dimensions and locations for the birds in you want to attract that live in your area. Keep an eye on squatters like European starlings and English house sparrows.