Rose-breasted Grosbeak: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Bright Little Birds · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. Its song is a soft, mellow warble, like a sweeter version of the American robin's. Males may start singing before leaving their winter home.
2. Dads take a turn on the eggs: the male does roughly a third of the sitting, and the female does the rest.
3. A chick weighs just 5 g when it hatches. From a few days old, it puts on at least 3 g every single day.
4. Cowbirds try to sneak their eggs into its nest. The grosbeak seems to spot those eggs, and it has been seen boldly chasing cowbirds away.
5. It nests in Canada and the northeastern United States, then flies south to spend the winter as far as Peru and Venezuela.

The quiz

1. Which bird's song does the grosbeak's song resemble, in a sweeter version?

• The American robin (correct)
• The crow
• The woodpecker
• The owl

Its mellow warble is like a sweeter version of the American robin's song.

2. Roughly how much of the egg-sitting does the male do?

• None of it
• All of it
• About a third (correct)
• Only at night

The male does roughly a third of the incubation.

3. How much does a grosbeak chick weigh when it hatches?

• 50 g
• 500 g
• 1 g
• 5 g (correct)

Nestlings weigh 5 g at hatching.

4. Which bird tries to lay its eggs in the grosbeak's nest?

• The bald eagle
• The brown-headed cowbird (correct)
• The hummingbird
• The penguin

Cowbirds target its nest, but the grosbeak seems able to recognise their eggs.

5. How far south can rose-breasted grosbeaks spend the winter?

• Only in Canada
• Northern Europe
• Peru and Venezuela (correct)
• Antarctica

They winter from Mexico through Central America to Peru and Venezuela.

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