Grosbeak

Some of them might be a little surprising.

But like you said, Grosbeaks are some of them.

But not all Grosbeaks.

Not all Grosbeaks.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are.

Black-headed Grosbeaks, blue Grosbeaks are.

But...

Pine Grosbeaks and Evening Grosbeaks, they aren't.

Oh

... two blue-faced grosbeaks were...

Grosbeaks, is it? [laughs]

They are gross.

Anyway, so he wrapped them up in his underpants and tried to sneak them through customs.

This means they were reported in five to eight of the last 10 years.

This group only contains one species of finch, and that is the evening grosbeak.

Probably the only finch species in Iowa that I would say competes with the striking beauty of the American Goldfinch, this medium-sized bird, about the size of a Northern Cardinal, has a bright yellow body that fades to brown on the face.

It has a black cap bordered by yellow above the beak and above the eye.

In the west, their range extends along the Rocky and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, and some in between.

There is a small range in the mountains of western Mexico as well.

So uncommonly reported in Iowa that a range map excludes them from the state, evening grosbeaks have only been reported in 46 of 99 counties, just over half.

They are prone to sporadic eruptions, though, and have been seen at feeders.

See store for details.

The Rose Breasted Grosbeak.

The rose-breasted grosbeak is one of the most beautiful birds in the wood and also one of the most useful, which is not always the way of beautiful things.

Mr. Rose-breasted Grosbeak dresses in black and white, with a handsome triangle of rose red on his chest and the same color tucked under his wings.

Mrs. Grosbeak wears sensible brown, not unlike her cousin the sparrow.

They have distinguished relations.

The blue Grosbeak, the male in deep blue with chestnut shoulder trims.

The evening Grosbeak, in brown and gold.