Evening Grosbeaks are hardy finches that thrive in high altitude forests. Despite their tendency to keep to older forests, they are regular visitors to bird feeders in the winter, especially if you offer them sunflower seeds. These colorful, master seed crackers are beautiful songbirds that birdwatchers are always excited to see. Let’s learn a little about this species with 13 facts about Evening Grosbeaks.
13 Facts about Evening Grosbeaks
1. They live in the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and Maine.
Evening Grosbeaks’ primary range is across Canada and dips down into the Pacific northwest and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. They breed as far south as Mexico, in high-elevation forested areas up to 10,000 feet. Historically, they were only found west of the Rocky Mountains, but began moving east in the late 1800’s early 1900’s. Each winter they pushed east a little further until arriving in New England by 1911. Today they are regulars around the Great Lakes and northeast, including Maine.
The expansion of some of their favorite trees the box elder and Manitoba maple, due to ornamental planting, may have been instrumental in their spread eastward.
2. Mature forests are their favorite habitats.
These finches prefer to live in high-altitude forests with mature conifer trees or mixed coniferous-deciduous forest that include spruce, fir, pine, aspen and oak. Older trees usually indicate a thriving old-growth forest ecosystem, which is safer and healthier than other younger forests. They choose mature forests over younger ones because older trees put more effort into producing seed each year. In the winter they spread to more urban and suburban areas.
3. Seeds are the most important part of their diet.
Take one look at an Evening Grosbeak’s thick bill and you’ll know it’s a seed-eating bird. It uses the powerful muscles behind its bill to break open the hardiest of seeds. That’s very useful in an environment where seeds are so abundant.
Trees have different ways they distribute seeds: via pods, cones, or fruit, etc. The gently curved bill of this finch is able to break open almost any outer shell to get at the meat inside.
4. They often appear at feeders far outside their range during the winter.
Evening Grosbeaks are notorious for flying far from their native range during the wintertime. They are more likely to be seen in the nort