Black-headed Grosbeak - Pheucticus melanocephalus
General Description
A medium-sized cardinal finch. Length 18-19 cm. Mass 40-50 g. Sexually dichromatic throughout the year. Adult males have black on head (sometimes broken by a partial or complete eye-stripe of bright cinnamon); black wings and tail with sharply contrasting white spots; brilliant cinnamon on breast, rump, nape, and flanks; and a patch of lemon yellow on the belly. Females have brown head with buffy to white (occasionally lemon yellow) crown and eye-stripe, a pale chin, brown wings and tail with indistinct buffy spots and heavily streaked body plumage that is dull cinnamon to buff with variable amounts of yellow. (Hill, Geoffrey E. The Birds of North America, No. 143, 1995).
Distribution
Montana Range
Observations in Montana: 1507
Montana CountiesBeaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Dawson, Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Lincoln, Madison, McCone, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Pondera, Powder River, Powell, Prairie, Ravalli, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sanders, Sheridan, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Toole, Treasure, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux, Yellowstone
Migration
In Bozeman area normal spring migration is from May 27-Jun 6 with no discernible movement in the fall.
Habitat
Occupies diverse habitats. Cottonwood/willow groves and other riparian habitats in desert and dry grassland; openings in mature pine forest; aspen groves; deciduous growth especially in mountain valleys/canyons; pinyon-juniper woodlands; oak savanna; gardens; orchards. Relatively tolerant of human disturbance. (Hill 1995)
Food Habits
Insects and spiders; cultivated fruit, wild fruit, weed seeds, and grains. During breeding season, gleans insects high in trees and in understory. (Hill 1995).
Reproductive Characteristics
Since it is relatively tolerant of human disturbance, it will breed in yards and gardens if adequate cover for nesting and feeding is available. Female does all the construction. Nests widely reported to be so thinly constructed that eggs can be seen through bottom. Nests are generally well concealed among foliage of branches. Clutch size is 2 - 5 eggs; subelliptical, pale greenish blue with much reddish brown spotting. (Hill 1995). Statewide, nests from Jun to mid-July.