The term grosbeak does not refer to any specific family or genus of birds. Instead grosbeak is a term that refers to a physical feature that a number of different seed eating birds share. Although all of these birds are
passerines they all belong to a different genus. For instance the pine
grosebeak, pictured above, is a member of the genus
Pinicola.
The evening grosbeak, pictured above, is in the same family as the pine grosbeak,
Fringillidae, but is a member of the genus
Coccothraustes. The genus
Coccothraustes also includes the hawk finch and the hooded grosbeak. Both the pine grosbeak and evening grosbeak are closely related to finches.
The rose-breasted grosbeak, the one pictured above is an immature, is the most common grosbeak found in my area. The rose-breasted grosbeak is a member of the
Cardinalidae family and is in the genus
Pheucticus, which also includes the yellow, golden-bellied, black-
thighed, and black-headed grosbeaks.
The blue grosbeak is also a member of the
Cardinalidae family but they are found in the genus
passerina. The genus
passerina also includes the North American bunting species including the indigo and painted buntings. Since both the rose-breasted and blue
grosbeaks are members of the
Cardinalidae family they are both also related to cardinals. There are many other types of grosbeaks in a variety of different genus' found around the world but unfortunately these are the only types that I have ever found here in Minnesota.
The rose-breasted grosbeak is a medium sized passerine. They summer in the deciduous woodlands of the north eastern half of the United States and up into central Canada. They winter in the tropical forests of Central America and northwestern South America. They are omnivores, eating a combination of seeds, tree buds, fruit and insects. They will sometimes cross breed with the black-headed grosbeak where there ranges cross in the middle of the United States.
The term grosbeak does not refer to any specific family or genus of birds. Instead grosbeak is a term that refers to a physical feature that a number of different seed eating birds share. Although all of these birds are passerines they all belong to a different genus. For instance the pine grosebeak, pictured above, is a member of the genus Pinicola.
The evening grosbeak, pictured above, is in the same family as the pine grosbeak, Fringillidae, but is a member of the genus Coccothraustes. The genus Coccothraustes also includes the hawk finch and the hooded grosbeak. Both the pine grosbeak and evening grosbeak are closely related to finches.
The rose-breasted grosbeak, the one pictured above is an immature, is the most common grosbeak found in my area. The rose-breasted grosbeak is a member of the Cardinalidae family and is in the genus Pheucticus, which also includes the yellow, golden-bellied, black-thighed, and black-headed grosbeaks.
The blue grosbeak is also a member of the Cardinalidae family but they are found in the genus passerina. The genus passerina also includes the North American bunting species including the indigo and painted buntings. Since both the rose-breasted and blue grosbeaks are members of the Cardinalidae family they are both also related to cardinals. There are many other types of grosbeaks in a variety of different genus' found around the world but unfortunately these are the only types that I have ever found here in Minnesota.
