Rose-breasted grosbeak Facts
Rose-breasted grosbeak Facts
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| Interesting Rose-breasted grosbeak Facts: |
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| Rose-breasted grosbeak can reach 7.1 to 8.3 inches in length and 1.4 to 1.7 ounces of weight. |
| Upper parts of the male's body are black. Bottom side of the body and rump are white. Red or pinkish patch covers breasts of male rose-breasted grosbeaks. Females are brown with dark-colored stripes on dorsal and lateral sides of the body. |
| Rose-breasted grosbeak has large, cone-shaped beak that is usually pink-colored. |
| Rose-breasted grosbeak eats insects and various types of seed and fruit. Berries are predominant source of food during the winter. |
| Rose-breasted grosbeak migrates toward the south at the beginning of the autumn. It travels during the night in flocks composed of up to 50 birds. |
| Rose-breasted grosbeak produces melodic, warbled songs that sound like songs of American robin with slightly shorter phrases. |
| Female picks the male who sings the most beautiful songs during the mating season. Male accepts her company after day or two. Bond between pair of rose-breasted grosbeaks lasts for a lifetime (monogamous birds). |
| Rose-breasted grosbeaks are territorial during the breeding season. Both males and females aggressively defend their territory against intruders. |
| Experiments with live birds showed that white ramp and white markings on lateral sides of the body trigger aggressive behavior in male rose-breasted grosbeaks during the breeding season (red markings on the breasts do not trigger aggression). |
| Males and females build nest in the trees together. Nest is cup-shaped and made of twigs, decaying leaves and straws. It is porous and eggs can be seen from below. |
| Female lays 1 to 5 pale green or bluish eggs. Both males and females participate in the incubation of eggs during a period of 11 to 14 days. |
| Hatchlings are helpless at birth and depend on their parents until the age of 30 days. They leave the nest 9 to 12 days after hatching. |
| Rose-breasted grosbeak and black-headed grosbeak can interbreed in areas where members of their own species cannot be found. Produced offspring can inherit characteristics of both parents or just of one of them. |
| Blue jay, common grackles and red and grey squirrels feed on eggs and young chicks. Adult rose-breasted grosbeak are targeted by several species of hawks. |
| Rose-breasted grosbeak can survive more than 12 years in the wild. |
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