Rose-breasted Grosbeak

(Pheucticus ludovicianus)

Conservation Status
IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5B - Secure Breeding

SNRB - Unranked Breeding

Minnesota

not listed

 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Photo by Ramona Abrego
 
Description

 

 

Size

7 to 8½ in length

12½ wingspan

 

Voice

 

Similar Species

 
Habitat

Deciduous and mixed forests with shrubs

Ecology

Migration

Late April to late October

 

Nesting

 

 

Food

 

Distribution

Occurrence

Common migrant and breeder

 

Maps

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

Taxonomy

Class

Aves (birds)

Order

Passeriformes (perching birds)

Family

Cardinalidae (cardinals and allies)

Genus

Pheucticus (cardinal-grosbeaks)

   

Subordinate Taxa

 

   

Synonyms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visitor Photos
 

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Gregory Gilman

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

The Female Grosbeak

Kim Harcey

Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Rose-breasted Grosbeak
     
Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Rose-breasted Grosbeak
     
Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Rose-breasted Grosbeak
     
Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Bobbi Johnson

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Ramona Abrego

Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Aleesha Saul

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

First sighting this year.

Gerry Garcia

Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Rose-breasted Grosbeak
     
Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Connie H.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Sarah Z

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Beautiful male on my backyard feeder this morning. First spring I’ve had grosbeaks. Love them.

Trisha

Gross beak

Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Rose-breasted Grosbeak
     
Rose-breasted Grosbeak    

Bill Reynolds

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

 

 

  Rose-breasted Grosbeak
 

Female

 

 

Male

 

 

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

 

Camera

 

Slideshows

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
JMC Nature Photos

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

 

slideshow

Visitor Videos
 

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Other Videos

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
The Music of Nature

About

Uploaded on Jun 17, 2010

You can imagine my delight at capturing this video portrait of a singing male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. What's more, he's a very pretty specimen! The male's lilting musical carol has been compared to the song of "a Robin who took singing lessons."

© 2010 Lang Elliott
musicofnature.org

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Portrait
ebirdr

About

Published on Jun 10, 2012

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a common bird in Canada west of Rockies and eastern U.S. Deciduous forests near open fields, second growth, suburbs, orchards, feeders.

It has a huge white bill. The male has a black head and back with a bright red breast, white underparts and rump. The wings have white bars. In flight the underwings show white patch and red wingpits. The female looks somewhat like a large sparrow. It is brownish and heavily streaked. with a white eyebrow stripe.

The song is very Robin-like only more melodious.

Rose Breasted Grosbeak Male Close up
seahue

About

Published on May 4, 2011

I was leaning out the window to film the wood thrush and the catbird when I heard a fluttering of wings to my left. As I panned slowly towards the sound....

Rose-breasted Grosbeak in full song
revalkit

About

Published on Apr 21, 2012

Video shot in East Lake View, Chicago on 4/21/12

Grosbeak Mother and Daughter
seahue

About

Published on Jul 10, 2012

The rose breasted grosbeak population has been thriving...every year I see more and more of them...this is the first time I've filmed a young one:)

Music mix by Numeron. From CCMIXTER. Titled 'Melted Heart Of Steel'.

http://ccmixter.org/files/Numeron/38103
http://ccmixter.org/files/Javolenus/37167

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings
 

Report a sighting of this bird.

 

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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.

Gregory Gilman
5/25/2025

Location: Rochester, MN

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Mikayla Schweim
5/6/2025, 4:16 PM

Location: Wells, Minnesota

first time I've ever seen one was just on my feeder for a bit, so pretty !

Vicki Currie
4/23/2025

Location: Farmerville, Louisiana

sighting of 2 on bird feeder

Kim Harcey
6/14/2023

Location: Cambridge, MN

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
June Downing
7/19/2022

Location: Blaine Mn.

beautiful rose breasted grosbeak at our black sunflower seed feeder this morning 7-19-22. Did not mind sharing feeder with busy chickadees!

Kim Harcey
5/5/2022

Location: Cambridge, MN

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Bobbi Johnson
7/10/2021

Location: Silver Bay, MN

seen in our yard

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Aleesha Saul
5/14/2019

Location: Dassel, MN

First sighting this year.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

jmeyer
5/14/2020

Location: 23 miles w/o Minneapolis

Black oil sunflower seed feeder: one sighting of a male two days ago and at least six today, three females and three males for sure. It was difficult to count because they were so active. Wondering if they are migrating through?

Michelle
5/13/2020

Location: Maplewood, MN.

We just had our first sighting of a male rose-breasted grosbeak at our sunflower seed feeder.

Tammy Reinke
5/8/2020

Location: Grant, Minnesota (near Stillwater)

Male and female eating black-oil sunflower seeds at platform feeder

Rick E.
5/5/2020

Location: Mantorville Mn...

Beautiful male

Kim Harcey
7/7/2019

Location: Cambridge, MN

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Fogerty
5/26/2019

Location: Eden Prairie

Saw at feeder. First sighting for me.

Kim Harcey
5/20/2019

Location: Cambridge, MN

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Gerry Garcia
5/12/2019

Location: West Bloomington, MN

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Kim Harcey
5/20/2018

Location: Cambridge, MN

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Coffee Goddess
5/10/2018

Location: Mazeppa MN

3 males and 1 female in platform feeder

Connie H.
5/10/2018

Location: Andover, MN

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Sarah Z
5/9/2018

Location: Lakeville, MN

Beautiful male on my backyard feeder this morning. First spring I’ve had grosbeaks. Love them.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Plato
5/9/2018

Location: Fergus Falls MN

Several Males and a female – so beautiful!

Kathie
5/8/2018

Location: West St Paul

male has made many visits to the feeder over the past 3 days

Vicki
5/2/2018

Location: My back yard platform feeder in Prior Lake, MN

I’ve never seen one at our feeder in the 3 years we’ve lived here.

Kim Harcey
6/29/2017

Location: Cambridge, MN

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Kim Harcey
5/18/2017

Location: Cambridge, MN

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

Banning State Park

Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park

Blaine Wetland Sanctuary

Blue Mounds State Park

Cambria WMA

Camden State Park

Cannon River Trout Lily SNA

Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center

Cedar Mountain SNA

Chamberlain Woods SNA

Cherry Grove Blind Valley SNA

Chimney Rock SNA

Clear Lake SNA

Des Moines River SNA

Falls Creek SNA

Flandrau State Park

Fort Ridgely State Park

Frontenac State Park

Gneiss Outcrops SNA

Great River Bluffs State Park

Grey Cloud Dunes SNA

Hampton Woods WMA

Hastings Sand Coulee SNA

Hayes Lake State Park

Holthe Prairie SNA

John A. Latsch State Park

John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA

Joy Park

Kasota Prairie

King’s and Queen’s Bluff SNA

Laible Woods

Lake Louise State Park

Lake Maria State Park

Lawrence Creek SNA

Lost Valley Prairie SNA

Maplewood State Park

Miesville Ravine Park Reserve

Minnesota Valley NWR, Black Dog Unit

Minnesota Valley NWR, Rapids Lake Unit

Moose Lake State Park

Mound Spring Prairie SNA, North Unit

Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve

Prairie Creek Woods SNA

Ritter Farm Park

River Warren Outcrops SNA

Robert Ney Memorial Park Reserve

Rockville County Park

Rushford Sand Barrens SNA

St. Croix Savanna SNA

Savage Fen SNA

Seven Mile Creek County Park

Seven Sisters Prairie

Shooting Star Prairie SNA

Spring Creek Prairie SNA

Spring Lake Park Reserve

Springbrook Nature Center

Staffanson Prairie

Sunfish Lake Park

Swedes Forest SNA

Thompson County Park

Twin Lakes SNA

Upper Sioux Agency State Park

Valley View Park

Vermillion Highlands Research Recreation and WMA

Whitetail Woods Regional Park

William O’Brien State Park

Woodland Trails Regional Park

 

 

Binoculars

 

Created: 6/19/2009

Last Updated:

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