Pl. XXIII


The Birds · Plate XXIII
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Cardinalidae · Taxon 10271
| Length | 18–21 cm (7.1–8.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 29–33 cm (11.4–13.0 in) |
| Weight | 39–49 g (1.4–1.7 oz) |
Field marks
- Stocky, broad-chested songbird with a short neck and medium-length squared tail.
- Very large, thick triangular bill, pale horn-colored in the adult male.
- Adult male black above with crisp white wing patches and white underparts.
- Adult male has a vivid rose-red breast chevron below the black throat.
- White patches show in the wings and tail; males show pink-red underwings in flight.
- Female and immature are brown and heavily streaked, with a bold pale eyebrow and pale bill.
HabitatMoist deciduous or mixed woodland, especially second-growth woods, thickets, and shrubby forest edges; also uses semiopen wooded habitats.
BehaviorPrimarily a foliage gleaner; uses its stout bill for seeds, fruit, and insects, and may hover or fly out to catch insects.
Palette
glossy blackbright rose-redclean whitepale hornwarm brown