Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re talking about evening grosbeaks. These birds aren’t gross, they’re quite wonderful, but they get their common name from their “grossly” oversized beaks. Just look at that honkin’ thing! The “evening” part of their common name comes from the incorrect assumption that these birds only call in the evening, but they pretty much call whenever they feel like it! Evening grosbeaks are north American birds and may be found from Southern Canada to Mexico. Before the 1900s, people living on the east coast of North America were likely unfamiliar with the evening grosbeak, but today these birds can be found from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast. Evening grosbeaks began their eastward range expansion in the 1850s. It’s believed they were able to enter these new environments due to the planting of box elder trees and the presence of bird feeders. Supposedly those who are lucky enough to have evening grosbeaks visit their bird feeders are then tasked with the commitment of continually feeding them, and these birds can eat a lot! A flock of evening grosbeaks can eat hundreds of pounds of sunflower seeds in a single winter, though they may not show up every winter! Evening grosbeaks live in both conifer, or cone bearing, forests and deciduous, or drop all their leaves in autumn, forests. They can also be found in semi open grasslands, and their flocks tend to be nomadic. They may have larger ranges because they’re always looking for new food supplies. If food supplies are low, some evening grosbeaks will migrate south in search of food, but this happens irregularly. Others may simply move to different habitats within their area without making a full migration.

Evening grosbeaks mostly eat seeds, but they can also be found dining on berries, maple sap, and insects. Their giant beaks are well designed for breaking into seeds, and it’s the seeds of box elders that brought evening grosbeaks across the entirety of North America. Currently, evening grosbeak populations throughout eastern North America are declining. This may be related to disease outbreaks, or control of budworms - a favorite summertime food for evening grosbeaks - but ultimately the cause is unknown at the time. Evening grosbeaks may also be hit by cars because they gather fine gravel and charcoal for minerals and salt; it’s not unheard of to see one picking up gravel from a roadside or chomping on some charcoal from a doused campfire. Their diets are also based on food availability by season where they tend to eat more insects during the summer months.

The summer is the breeding season for these birds. Female evening grosbeaks do most of the work constructing their nests. These birds are typically monogamous for a breeding season, but if there’s enough food they might wander. Females lay three to five eggs and do most of the incubation duties, though the males feed their ladies during this time. After two weeks, the chicks hatch and then leave the nest two weeks later. The young will stick around for at least a few more days while their parents still feed them, but in warmer parts of their range evening grosbeaks may produce a second brood!

You may have noticed already, but these birds look a little angry. The males have bright yellow patches above their eyes giving them a sort of scowl. The females have less drastic coloring. Evening grosbeaks are nearly twice the size of a goldfinch reaching about eight inches (20.3cm) in length.

For more facts on evening grosbeaks check out the links in the description. Thank you to Jennifer for today’s request! Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files.