Name: Pine Grosbeak

Description: Grosbeak means "big bill," and indeed, all Pine Grosbeaks have heavy bills that enable them to crack seeds and extract the kernels. A bird of the boreal forests, the Pine Grosbeak is found across northern Eurasia and North America, and south into the mountains of western Canada and the United States. The Pine Grosbeak is the largest and rarest of the “winter Finches."

Other Names: Pine Bullfinch, Canadian Grosbeak, American Grosbeak, Mope (Newfoundland)

Color: Male Pine Grosbeak's head, neck, back, rump and breast are crimson, with gray showing through. It has dark gray wings with two white bars, a heavy black bill and black legs. Females and immature Pine Grosbeaks are gray with a rusty, orange-tinged face, crown and rump.

Sound: The Pine Grosbeak is a melodious bird. Its typical flight call is a whistled “pui, pui, pui” and its alarm call is a musical “cheevli.”

Preferred Environment: Pine Grosbeaks favor both coniferous and mixed wood forests, but as its name suggests, it shows a preference for evergreens.

Nesting Habits: The Pine Grosbeak typically chooses conifers to build its nest. The female builds a poorly constructed nest of twigs, rootlets, grass and moss lined with fine rootlets, grasses and hair.

Food Preference: Pine Grosbeak's feed on sunflower seeds and grain.