Migratory Status: Resident
PIF Population Estimate: 
6 000 000
Percent of western hemisphere population breeding in boreal forest: <50%
BAM Effective Detection Radius (m) : 90.03
PIF Maximum Detection Distance (m) : 125
Canadian BBS Population trend: -2.3 (-4.4 to -0.2)
Life History
The Evening Grosbeak is perhaps one of the best known species in a relatively small group of North American birds often referred to as “winter finches”. Although seldom observed during the breeding season, they are a common and colourful visitor at bird feeders in the non-breeding season.
The male Evening Grosbeak is readily distinguished by its bright yellow breast and eye brow, contrasting wing pattern (white secondary feathers with black primary feathers), and large, pale green conical bill. Females and immatures of the species are similar in appearance, but have a much more muted grayish-olive appearance.
The Evening Grosbeak is generally considered to be a resident species across most of its known range, though periodic irruptive and seasonal movements, often involving large numbers of birds, do occur. In North America, the range typically includes most treed portions of the boreal forest, along with extensive portions of the Rocky Mountains and Coast Mountains.
The highly unmusical sounds of the Evening Grosbeak are somewhat distinctive, often compared to the calls of the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). Rarely observed alone, flocks of feeding grosbeaks are often heard well before they are seen.
Reference(s)
Gillihan, S. W., and B. Byers. 2001. Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes verspertinus), The Birds of North America, No. 300. A. Poole and F. Gill, eds. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists's Union, Washington, D.C.
