Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus |
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![]() The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is the eastern close cousin of the Black-headed Grosbeak, which is more often seen in the west. Far eastern Arizona, where this picture was taken, is on the western edge of the Rose-breasted's normal range. The male Rose-breasted's breeding plumage is spectacular and unmistakeable; by contrast, the females of the two species, and the male juveniles and non-breeding adults, are easy to confuse. I don't have a picture of a female Rose-breasted, but they are distinguishable from female Black-headed by heavier black streaking on the breast. |
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![]() The hint of pink on the throat, and the clear whitish breast where a female would have extensive dark streaking, suggest that this is a male Rose-breasted beginning to molt into alternate plumage at the end of its first cycle. An adult female Black-headed, which would be rare but possible in East Texas, would not show any pink and would have a bi-colored bill with a dark upper mandible. |