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Evening Grosbeak - (Coccothraustes vespertinus)
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May 17 2011 - The bird cam
was set to automatically take photos at the dinner bell
feeder. One of our new Suet $cent cylinders was being
taste tested by the usual visitors in our yard. A male
hairy woodpecker was shown to enjoy his treat. We didn't
notice the evening grosbeaks until we downloaded the
pictures at the end of the day. This was a surprising
treat for us. It was also the first time we saw the
male in his full color. We were happy to be an apparent
travel stop on their way back north.
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| Male Downy |
Female Evening
Grosbeak |
Male Evening
Grosbeak |
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October 13, 2010 - We saw a
female evening grosbeak for the first time. She was a
gray bird with a yellow neck and distinct white bands on
her black wings. The large whitish beak made her easy
to identify as a grosbeak. The evening grosbeak is
related to winter finches and exhibits their seasonal
nomadic habits of irregular appearances. We had two
pairs visit our backyard before they all left the area
on October 20th. Friends in nearby southern Vermont
reported having "lots of evening grosbeaks" and
consequently needing "lots of bags of sunflower seeds".
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Size: |
Length:8 in |
Weight:2.1 oz |
Wingspan: 13-14 in |
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ID: |
Male: Stocky, dull yellow
finch; short black, notched tail; short
black wings with large white wing patches; very
large conical bill (mostly very pale, but is
greenish in spring); dark olive head with yellow
forehead and eyebrow; yellow rump and belly;
feet anisodactylous (three toes point forward
and one toe points backward); pinkish legs
Female: Silvery gray with
yellowish nape, rump and underparts; dark lores;
smaller white wing patch and more white on tail
feathers
Juvenile: Similar to female but
bill is brown |
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Habitat: |
Open coniferous and mixed forests; box elders
and other maple trees, fruit bearing shrubs for
winter; mountains |
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Diet: |
Seeds, berries, fruit, insects, buds and sap;
will come to feeders for sunflower seeds
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Family Behavior: |
Mating Habits: Monogamous
and semicolonial; 1-2 broods per year Local Breeding Period:
Breeds in northern North America
Nests:Loosely constructed cup
shape; built by female; made of twigs, moss,
lichens, rootlets, and lined with hair and soft
fibers; placed on tree branch 20-60 ft high and
hidden by foliage
Eggs: 3-4 blue with
brown, or grayish purple blotches markings and
occasional streaks; female incubates 11-14
days (male feeds her)
Nestlings: Born altricial
(helpless, naked, eyes closed) and stay in nest
13-14 days; fed regurgitated insects by both
parents
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Social Activities: |
Irruptive migratory patterns in fall to find
better food sources; often travel in large,
noisy groups
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Range: |
Mostly Southern Canada but winters some years
in Northern US |
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Vocalization: |
Warbled, high ringing trill clee-ip or peeer
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Sighted in our Backyard: |
October 10 to 20, 2010 |
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Lifespan: |
15 years 3 months |
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