What does the Evening Grosbeak song sound like?
Play the real Evening Grosbeak song, the "short warble", and learn what to listen for.
What the Evening Grosbeak song sounds like
Evening Grosbeaks are not known for a complex song like many songbirds. Their song, if it can be called that, is a simple, short series of warbling or burry notes, sometimes described as a faint, uneven warble. It's often given quietly from treetops during the breeding season and can be hard to distinguish from their calls. Many observers rarely hear a distinct song, as their common vocalizations are their call notes.
“short warble”
How to find the bird singing it
Coniferous and mixed forests, especially those with spruce, pine, and fir trees
- Bill Size: Large, robust finch (about 8 inches long). The most defining feature is the huge conical bill, which is ivory-colored to greenish-yellow (brighter green-yellow in breeding season). The bill appears oversized for the head.
- Male Plumage: Adult male plumage: bright yellow eyebrows and forehead, a yellow body, with the nape and back a darker olive-brown. The tail is short and black. The wings are black with a prominent white patch (formed by secondary feathers) visible both at rest and in flight. A male in flight shows a lot of white in the wings contrasted with black and golden yellow.
- Female Plumage: Adult female plumage: cool gray overall with tinges of yellow on the neck and flanks. Females have a smaller yellow forehead patch and a distinctive pattern in the wings: black primaries with white patches and a greenish-yellow tinge on the secondary edges, though not as blocky-white as the male's wing patches. The tail is black and white. The female's bill is the same large size, usually a pale ivory with a slight green tint in spring.
When you'll hear it
Winter
Many Evening Grosbeaks move south or to lower elevations in winter, often arriving at bird feeders in temperate areas. In winter they form flocks that wander widely in search of maple seeds, ash seeds, fruit, and feeders with sunflower seeds. In irruption years, large flocks might appear suddenly in states or provinces where they aren't usually common, staying as long as the food lasts. They can withstand cold temperatures, often staying in snowy northern forests if food is ample.
Spring
As days lengthen, flocks begin moving back toward the breeding range. By mid to late spring, most Evening Grosbeaks depart their wintering areas. In their breeding territories (northern U.S., Canada, and mountain West), you may hear increased calling at dawn and dusk. They pair up and find nesting sites in dense conifers. The spring diet includes many tree buds (they often eat buds of maples and elms before insects become plentiful).
Summer
Breeding season. Evening Grosbeaks nest in coniferous or mixed forests of the North and West. They build a saucer-shaped nest on a horizontal branch, often high in a tree. During summer they are less conspicuous – flocks break into smaller family groups. They feed insects to their young (especially spruce budworm and other forest pests). You may still hear their occasional call notes, but they are not as noisy as in winter flocks. By late summer, young have fledged and small groups start roaming locally.
Fall
Come fall, Evening Grosbeaks form flocks again and begin to move as food supplies dictate. In years of poor seed crop in the north, large numbers will migrate southward earlier (sometimes as early as late fall). You might notice more grosbeaks at backyard feeders or in town as fall progresses. They feed heavily on seeds and berries to build fat reserves. In the northern breeding areas, they'll move to lower elevations or south by late fall, though some may linger if mountain ash berries or other foods are abundant.