Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)
- GenusPheucticus (Pheucticus Grosbeaks)
- SpeciesPheucticus ludovicianus (Rose-breasted Grosbeak)
About the Rose-breasted Grosbeak
The rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), colloquially called "cut-throat" due to its coloration, is a large, seed-eating grosbeak in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). It is primarily a foliage gleaner. Males have black heads, wings, backs, and tails, and a bright rose colored patch on their white breast. Males and females exhibit marked sexual dimorphism.
Breeding habitat consists of cool-temperate open deciduous woods throughout much of eastern North America, with migration to tropical America in winter. Rose-breasted grosbeaks have an average maximum lifespan of 7.3 years in the wild, and up to 24 years in captivity. Death in the wild is generally due to collision with objects (buildings, cars, etc.) and predation, to eggs, nestlings and adults.
In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the rose-breasted grosbeak in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected in Louisiana. He used the French name Le gros-bec de la Louisiane and the Latin Coccothraustes Ludoviciana. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Rocky Mountain National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Rocky Mountain National Park
Black-headed Grosbeak
Pheucticus melanocephalus
Yellow Grosbeak
Pheucticus chrysopeplus
Western Tanager
Piranga ludoviciana
Lazuli Bunting
Passerina amoena
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
Dickcissel
Spiza americana
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Black-billed Magpie
Pica hudsonia
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Rocky Mountain National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rose-breasted Grosbeak sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Rocky Mountain National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Rocky Mountain National Park in our monthly data.