The black-headed grosbeak is a medium-sized, seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is sometimes considered conspecific with the rose-breasted grosbeak with which it hybridizes on the American Great Plains.
Region
Western North America and Mesoamerica
Typical Environment
Breeds from southern British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest through the western United States into northern Mexico, and winters south through Mexico to Central America. Prefers open deciduous and mixed woodlands, especially riparian corridors with cottonwood, willow, and oak. Also uses pine-oak edges, second-growth, orchards, and suburban parks with mature trees. In winter it frequents tropical deciduous forest, scrub, and gardens.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Black-headed grosbeaks breed across western North America and winter in Mexico and Central America. They can safely eat monarch butterflies by avoiding or processing the most toxic parts. Where their range meets the rose-breasted grosbeak on the Great Plains, the two hybridize. Males deliver a rich, hurried song often compared to an American robin sung with more vigor and variability.
The female of this species looks similar to the female of the rose-breasted grosbeak and is best separated on geographical range.
Temperament
solitary and territorial during breeding; loosely social in migration
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with bounding undulations
Social Behavior
Typically monogamous, forming pairs that defend nesting territories in wooded habitats. The cup nest is placed in shrubs or trees; the female incubates most of the time while the male often feeds her. Both parents feed the nestlings and fledglings. Outside the breeding season they may join mixed-species flocks or forage in loose groups.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A rich, whistled, robin-like song delivered more quickly and with greater variation, including bright, slurred notes and short trills. Calls include a sharp metallic 'pik' or 'chink' used in contact and alarm.
Plumage
Male with black head and back, rich orange-cinnamon underparts, and bold white wing patches; female is brown and heavily streaked with a buffy breast and a distinct pale eyebrow.
Diet
Eats seeds, insects, spiders, fruits, and buds, switching seasonally with resource availability. Frequently gleans beetles, caterpillars, and other arthropods from foliage and twigs. Consumes berries and cultivated fruits when available and readily takes sunflower seeds at feeders. Notably, it preys on monarch butterflies and can tolerate or avoid much of their toxins.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the mid to upper canopy of deciduous and mixed woodlands, especially along streams and forest edges. Also feeds in shrubs, orchards, and backyard feeders. In winter, uses tropical dry forest edges and second-growth thickets.
