birdsoup

At this time of year I receive a lot of phone calls from people who have seen a “new” bird at their feeder.  The most common “new” birds are described as

(1)    A beautiful, robin-sized bird with a black back, white undersides and a brilliant red throat.

(2)    A large dark, streaky brown bird like a sparrow but maybe twice the size and with a larger beak bigger

Despite the widely contrasting descriptions, these are both the same species – Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

The male is a gorgeously striking bird.  I still remember the first one I ever saw as a young boy at the Skokie Lagoons just north of Chicago.  It was the first bird I ever saw that wasn’t a robin or a sparrow.  It was sitting in the open on a phone wire in full sunlight.  I can still picture it.

The female looks completely different, like a big sparrow.  Grosbeaks pass thru Westchester on spring migration.  If you should see one, I hope it is the male.  You won’t forget it.