Black-headed Grosbeak
Pheucticus melanocephalus
They are among the very few bird species that can safely consume Monarch butterflies, having evolved a high tolerance for their poisonous cardenolides.
- Scientific name
- Pheucticus melanocephalus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Cardinalidae › Pheucticus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous and mixed woodlands, mountain forests, and riverside thickets.
- Diet
- Insects, seeds, and berries; uniquely capable of eating toxic Monarch butterflies.
- Range
- Western North America, Mexico, Southwestern Canada
- Size
- 18-19 cm length, 35-50g weight
- Lifespan
- 6-11 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, pesticide exposure, and collisions with glass windows.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These birds are shy but frequent backyard feeders. Observe from a distance of at least 10 feet to avoid startling them. If you encounter a fledgling on the ground, leave it be as the parents are likely nearby.
The black-headed grosbeak ( Pheucticus melanocephalus ) is a medium-sized, seed-eating bird in the same family as the northern cardinal, the Cardinalidae. It is sometimes considered conspecific with the rose-breasted grosbeak ( P. ludovicianus ) with which it hybridizes on the American Great Plains.
Photo: Bill Bouton, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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