Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Photos by Bruce Dayton - Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Cardinalidae (Cardinals - 12 Species)
SPECIES: Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
The male Rose-breasted Grosbeak participates in the incubation, sometimes singing while on the nest. Both parents join in the feeding of the young, which leave the nest after only about 9 days of age. They sometimes have 2 broods, the male feeds the young while the female builds another nest.
SIZE	The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a large (7-8") seed-eating bird in the cardinal family.
DESCRIPTION	Male: Rose colored red breast patch with Black head and neck. Underparts are white with white patches on wing. Female: Dark gray upperparts, a white stripe over the eye, and streaky white underparts with yellowish wing linings.
NESTING	Clutch size ranges from 3-6 eggs, which are incubated in 12 to 14 days. They make A flimsy nest of twigs and grass in a small tree or shrub.
RANGE	They range most of Canada and the eastern United States.
HABITAT	They habitat open deciduous woodlands, woodland edges, brushy lots, gardens and parks.
DIET	The Rose-breasted Grosbeak main diet consists of insects, seeds, fruit and buds.




Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Sapsucker Woods Bird Sanctuary Tompkins County, New York


Male	Male
RbGb-350T_036250	RbGb-350T_036248

Groton Township Tompkins County, New York


Male - Immature	Female
RbGb-350T_09-8055	RbGb-350T_629855

INTERESTING FACTS

Artic Tundra

The term "tundra" means "treeless plain". The Arctic Tundra is located in the northern hemisphere. The area of open treeless country, which encircles the Arctic Ocean, lying to the north of the belt of boreal forest. The word "tundra" usually refers to the areas where the subsoil (permafrost) is permanently frozen. Yearly precipitation is 6 to 10 inches. The tundra is covered in marshes, lakes, bogs and streams. During the winter, it is very cold and dark with temperatures sometimes dipping as low as -70 °C. In the summer with a temperature between 37-54° F, the top layer of the permafrost melts, leaving the ground very soggy. The growing season ranges from 50 to 60 days, which enables the area to sustain life. The vegetation consists mainly of mosses and lichens. The Artic Tundra is an important breeding ground for birds.

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The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2009 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit.




Maryland Yellow-throat Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes