Photo: Alan Vernon / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-headed Grosbeak
Pheucticus melanocephalus
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) is a member of the Cardinalidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 47.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Cardinalidae Cardinals & Allies
- Genus Pheucticus
- Species melanocephalus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 47.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cardinalidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-headed Grosbeak is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-headed Grosbeak is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) is a species of bird in the Cardinalidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA w.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 47.1 g, with a wing length of about 10.1 cm and a tail of around 7.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 4.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-headed Grosbeak?
The Black-headed Grosbeak is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 47.1 g.
Where does the Black-headed Grosbeak live?
The Black-headed Grosbeak is found across North America with a range covering NA w, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-headed Grosbeak belong to?
The Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) belongs to the Cardinalidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-headed Grosbeak eat?
The Black-headed Grosbeak is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-headed Grosbeak migrate?
The Black-headed Grosbeak is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Black-headed Grosbeak endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-headed Grosbeak make?
1 real field recording of the Black-headed Grosbeak — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-headed Grosbeak's range?
The Black-headed Grosbeak has a mapped global range of about 4.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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