What a shock to have two male Rose Breasted Grosbeak birds on our bird feeder in the month of May. Then to our astonishment we had three females emerge! These birds are neo-tropical migrants. They spend the wintry weather months in an area from central Mexico to northern South America. In May, they come back to the North American continent and take up habitation in the northeastern United States and southern Canada. Their home is shrubbery, woodlands, and brushy stream areas neighboring to open fields. The male birds appear before the females, select a nesting area, and begin singing to draw a prospective mate.

As well as, the sunflower seeds from our bird feeders, a usual diet for these stunning birds might include seeds of elms, blossoms of hickory or beech trees, buds of white ash, flowers and fruit. Insects of the woodland such as Rose Breasted gypsy moths and tent caterpillars are also table fare for Grosbeaks. The Grosbeaks enjoy crop damaging beetles, locusts, cut worms, chinch bugs and other creepy crawlers.

The Rose Breasted Grosbeak is of the finch species. The male has a black head, back, vivid red breast and white rump, sides and belly. The female Grosbeak has a beige color breast with heavy brown streaks on the sides, making it seem almost dull compared to the male bird. The bird's wings are black with white patches above and red, white and black below. The bird in flight shows startling pink-red linings on the wings. These birds have a large, stout, pale pink-almost white, conical bill. They have a long slightly jagged black tail with white spots.

The Rose Breasted Grosbeak is a much loved bird in Mexico, Central and South America. Here the locals are caring for them and often capture them for pets. We had not seen a Rose Breasted Grosbeak before and were so happy to have them come to our bird feeders. They have by now moved on for their journey to the northeastern states. We anticipate when the late summer days start to become crisp, these striking birds will again stopover our bird feeders on their way south for the winter.