How sweet it is – The life and song of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak (5 photos)

The presence of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks in the yard is both restful and uplifting. The male is debonair in his handsome black and white outfit with a red cravat. The female is considerably more muted in tones of olive and brown yet decidedly demure. Together, they are delightful.

And together they seem to remain through life according to available science. They each contribute to incubating eggs and feeding fledglings. Because they can have two broods a year, the male may care for fledglings while the female begins a new nest for the second brood. Both males and females sing, and it is one of the few species that sings while on the nest. They sing to one another.

While single, a male uses song to lure a potential mate. If a female responds to his sweet song, the male will play hard to get, and rebuff her for a day or two. Is this to be sure of her commitment?

Once that commitment is made “A breeding pair will tolerate migrant males in their territory if the intruder is silent,” according to allaboutbirds.org.

Singing is too close to flirting with his mate, I assume, and the offending male will be chased away. A mated female will not tolerate other females near her man, and will similarly chase them away.

I often see the male and female together at the feeders. They crunch along in restful companionship. Either together or alone, grosbeaks hang out at feeders for long periods enjoying their meal, rather than doing a dash and grab as many other birds are apt to do. It seems so civilized.

Unfortunately, some of the noisier visitors to feeders such a Blue Jays and Common Grackles not only vie for food, they and red and gray squirrels are nest predators.

In an appropriate departure from their usual calm, Allaboutbirds.org says the breeding grosbeaks will mob these marauders noisily and aggressively near the nest.

I filled a feeder with safflower seed this year as grackles and European Starlings aren’t as likely to eat them as sunflower seeds, nor are squirrels. Grosbeaks will eat both types of seeds. When muscled out by other birds at sunflower feeders, grosbeaks will move quietly and with dignity to the other feeder.

Besides seeds, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks eat insects and fruit. Birdsoftheworld.org says, “Historically, the species has been considered both a pest, due to its fondness for tree buds, flowers, cultivated peas and fruits, and a beneficial species, as it eats potato beetle larvae, scale insects, and other insects injurious to crops.”

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks winter in Central and South America. They are common in eastern and central North America.

I was pleased to discover a couple of years ago that grosbeaks will eat grapes, apples and oranges I originally put out for Baltimore Orioles. It was fun one year as each species was checking out the fruit. The oriole was the same colour as the orange of course, and the grosbeak matched the apple slices.

Without comparing apples and oranges, or bird to bird, I will say each bird has impressive songs. The grosbeak’s song is varied, sweet, and as joyful as the birds themselves.

In a weak reference to Shakespeare, I close with: That which we call a Rose-breasted Grosbeak/By any other name would sound as sweet.

Click here to hear.

I share experiences of bird visitors to this property with readers every couple of weeks. Until next time, keep your eye to the sky, and look for birds that may come by.

Rosaleen Egan is a freelance journalist, a storyteller, and a playwright. She blogs on her website.