Black-headed Grosbeak

Adult males (pictured) have a black head, cinnamon-orange breast, and black wings white patches. Females and immatures are brown with heavy streaks and a white eyebrow stripe.

Large silver-gray conical bill, black head, bright orange-cinnamon underparts, and black wings with prominent white patches.

Length: 7.1-7.5 in (18-19 cm); Wingspan: 12.6 in (32 cm); Weight: 1.2-1.7 oz (34-49 g).

Song is a rich, whistled warble similar to a Robin but more fluid. Call is a sharp, metallic 'pik'.

Omnivorous; consumes insects, berries, and large seeds by using its powerful beak to crush them.

Deciduous and mixed woods, river thickets, and suburban gardens/parks with tall trees.

Migratory; travels between breeding grounds in the West and wintering grounds in Mexico.

Builds a cup-shaped nest of twigs in trees or shrubs. Lays 2-5 eggs. Both males and females share incubation and feeding duties.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (males have red chest and white bellies) and Spotted Towhee (smaller bill, red eyes, different orange pattern).

Acts as a predator of insects and a seed disperser; notably one of the few birds that can eat monarch butterflies despite their toxins.

Least Concern (IUCN); population remains stable.

Commonly visits backyard feeders for sunflower seeds. Look for them in the canopy of deciduous and mixed forests.

Black-headed Grosbeaks are one of the few birds that have the ability to eat monarch butterflies, as they have developed a tolerance to the cardiac glycosides found in the butterflies.