Evening Grosbeak vs Black-Headed Grosbeak

Evening Grosbeak

Hesperiphona vespertina

How to recognise an evening grosbeak?

General appearance

The Evening Grosbeak is a stocky bird with a thick, stout bill. Its coloration is primarily that of yellow and black, with the body appearing mostly yellow and wings and tail being marked with black. The bill is a pale color, often appearing nearly white.

Male vs female

Males and females display significant sexual dimorphism. Males are more brightly colored, with a vibrant yellow body, a brownish-black head, and black wings featuring striking white patches. Females, on the other hand, are less vibrant with more of a grey-brown body and white markings on the wings. Both genders share the feature of a pale, stout bill.

Juvenile

Juvenile Evening Grosbeaks appear similar to adult females, with more subdued coloration than males. As they age, they gradually acquire their adult colors, males becoming vibrant yellow and females settling into their more muted brown and white tones.

Size

6.5 - 7.1 in/1.9 - 2.6 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

The evening grosbeak prefers coniferous forests in Canada and the northern United States. They thrive in cool, temperate climates amidst pines, spruces, and firs.

Additional range

During winter, they may inhabit mixed woodlands, suburban areas, and occasionally venture into the southern U.S., adapting to varied environments for food availability.

Range Map

What do evening grosbeaks like to eat?

Natural diet

The evening grosbeak primarily feeds on seeds, berries, and insects. It often consumes seeds from trees such as maple, ash, pine, and spruce, along with a variety of berries including juneberries and elderberries. This bird also eats insects like caterpillars and beetles, especially during the breeding season when protein is essential for chick development.

Bird feeders

At bird feeders, evening grosbeaks commonly eat sunflower seeds, which are popular for their high fat content. They may also consume shelled peanuts and other mixed birdseed blends. Sometimes, they are attracted to feeders offering suet cakes containing seeds and nuts.

What does an evening grosbeak sound like?

The evening grosbeak, a passerine bird, is known for its distinct vocalizations. The bird's common call consists of a piercing "cleer" or "peeer," often delivered in a series. Its song is a series of short warbling notes, interspersed with its characteristic calls. However, the evening grosbeak is not known for melodiousness, but more for the assertive, unmusical sharpness and consistency of its vocal communications.

Call

Audio by Doug Hynes

/ CC BY-SA 4.0

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Black-Headed Grosbeak

Pheucticus melanocephalus

How to recognise a black-headed grosbeak?

General appearance

The black-headed grosbeak is a roughly robin-sized bird, measuring around 7 1/2 inches (19 cm). It displays characteristic colors such as black, brown, orange, tan, and white. Its wings are rounded, while its tail can be shaped, notched, squared, or rounded. The bird's notable features include markedly vibrant coloration and size.

Male vs female

For the black-headed grosbeak, the males tend to be dull orange-brown in color with a black head and black-and-white wings. On the other hand, females feature colors and patterns similar to the Rose-breasted Grosbeak but have more pronounced orange undertones beneath and less streaking. In addition, the females often have a darker bill.

Juvenile

Juvenile black-headed grosbeaks resemble the female but are tinged orange below, showing less streaking than their adult counterparts. They also have a bill that is often darker than the adults. Juveniles may experience a change in coloration during the season's transition.

Size

7.1 - 7.5 in/1.4 - 1.8 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

The Black-headed Grosbeak primarily breeds in oak woodland, streamside cottonwood and willow groves, pine-oak woods, and pinyon-juniper woodland. It seldom occupies purely coniferous forests.

Additional range

During migration, it can be found in open woods, streamside trees, suburbs, mesquite groves, desert washes. It winters in the open woods and brush of the tropics, ranging from lowlands to mountains.

Range Map

What do black-headed grosbeaks like to eat?

Natural diet

The black-headed grosbeak primarily feeds on a variety of insects, seeds, and berries. During the summer, it consumes numerous insects such as beetles, caterpillars, wasps, bees, and flies, as well as spiders and snails. The bird eats seeds from various weeds and berries from many plant sources, including mistletoe and poison oak, along with some cultivated fruits. Young grosbeaks are largely fed insects initially to support their growth.

Bird feeders

At bird feeders, the black-headed grosbeak may be attracted to a range of offerings, including sunflower seeds and suet. These high-energy food sources provide suitable nutrition for the bird outside of its natural diet.

What does a black-headed grosbeak sound like?

The black-headed grosbeak produces vocalizations reminiscent of a robin but are faster, softer, and sweeter. These vocals include a richly warble song and a distinct call note, characterized by an emphatic, slightly metallic 'tick.' The bird's call patterns fall, rise, or undulate, giving its vocals a unique sound. The grosbeak typically produces sounds like chirps, chips, flutes, rattles, and whistles.

Call

Audio by Peter Wilton

/ CC BY-SA 4.0

Song

Audio by Jonathon Jongsma

/ CC BY-SA 4.0

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Evening Grosbeak

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Black-Headed Grosbeak

Evening Grosbeak

Hesperiphona vespertina

General appearance

The Evening Grosbeak is a stocky bird with a thick, stout bill. Its coloration is primarily that of yellow and black, with the body appearing mostly yellow and wings and tail being marked with black. The bill is a pale color, often appearing nearly white.

Male vs female

Males and females display significant sexual dimorphism. Males are more brightly colored, with a vibrant yellow body, a brownish-black head, and black wings featuring striking white patches. Females, on the other hand, are less vibrant with more of a grey-brown body and white markings on the wings. Both genders share the feature of a pale, stout bill.

Juvenile

Juvenile Evening Grosbeaks appear similar to adult females, with more subdued coloration than males. As they age, they gradually acquire their adult colors, males becoming vibrant yellow and females settling into their more muted brown and white tones.

Size

6.5 - 7.1 in/1.9 - 2.6 oz

There's more to learn about Evening Grosbeak

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Black-Headed Grosbeak

Pheucticus melanocephalus

General appearance

The black-headed grosbeak is a roughly robin-sized bird, measuring around 7 1/2 inches (19 cm). It displays characteristic colors such as black, brown, orange, tan, and white. Its wings are rounded, while its tail can be shaped, notched, squared, or rounded. The bird's notable features include markedly vibrant coloration and size.

Male vs female

For the black-headed grosbeak, the males tend to be dull orange-brown in color with a black head and black-and-white wings. On the other hand, females feature colors and patterns similar to the Rose-breasted Grosbeak but have more pronounced orange undertones beneath and less streaking. In addition, the females often have a darker bill.

Juvenile

Juvenile black-headed grosbeaks resemble the female but are tinged orange below, showing less streaking than their adult counterparts. They also have a bill that is often darker than the adults. Juveniles may experience a change in coloration during the season's transition.

Size

7.1 - 7.5 in/1.4 - 1.8 oz

There's more to learn about Black-Headed Grosbeak

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How to tell the Evening Grosbeak from the Black-Headed Grosbeak

Visual differences

The Evening Grosbeak (6.5-7 in, 1.9-2.6 oz) is stocky with a thick, pale bill. Males have a vibrant yellow body and black wings with white patches, while females are gray-brown with white wing markings. In contrast, the Black-Headed Grosbeak (7.5 in, 1.4-1.8 oz) features a prominent black head in males, orange-brown bodies, and black-and-white wings. Females have orange undertones below and darker bills. Its body size is similar to a robin's. The key distinctions are in head color, body hue, and bill shade.

Key differences and behavior

Evening Grosbeaks and Black-headed Grosbeaks differ in behaviors and habitats. Evening Grosbeaks, visiting coniferous forests in the northern U.S. and Canada, exhibit salt cravings and can consume 96 sunflower seeds in five minutes. Their courtship involves food offerings, and they nest in conifers. Black-headed Grosbeaks favor oak woodlands, streamside forests, and pinyon-juniper habitats across more southern regions, with males singing persistently to stake out territories. These grosbeaks are notable for sharing parental duties and have versatile nesting from 3-25 feet above ground. Diet-wise, both consume seeds, berries, and insects, but the Evening Grosbeak leans towards seeds even outside feeders, while Black-headed Grosbeaks indulge in various insects and fruits, showing seasonally adaptable foraging.