Black-Headed Grosbeak
Pheucticus melanocephalus
Related to cardinals, Black-Headed Grosbeaks are birds of western USA in the summer breeding season, though their range extends to southern parts of Canada’s Western Provinces, and south into north-central Mexico. They spend winters in Mexico, where some of their population remains year-round. Male and females of this species both sing, though the female’s songs are simpler than her mate’s. Both sexes share parental duties, including sitting on the eggs. Male birds usually take two years to gain full breeding status, and young males may look more like mom than pop.
When I fed seeds to neighborhood birds in my Southern California yard, I looked forward to visits from these birds as they migrated north in spring. Some years I heard their songs all summer, leading me to suspect they nested near my home. While most of my meetings have been in Southern California, I’ve enjoyed run-ins with them in Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and New Mexico.
Based on a difference in bill size, modern taxonomists recognise two subspecies of Black-Headed Grosbeaks. Future research may change this view:
- P. m. melanocephalus breeds in the Rocky Mountains and Great Basin, from southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan (Canada), south to Oaxaca in the southern Mexican Plateau.
- P. m. maculatus breeds along the Pacific Coast from southern British Columbia (Canada) to northern Baja California (Mexico).
24 Photos
Black-headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Viewed from my rooftop. Poway, California (San Diego County). |
Date Taken: 2006:04:03 14:55 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/6.3, 1/45 |
File Name: JCD2527BlackHeadedGrosbeak |
| © 2006 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Black-headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Poway, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2002:05:26 8:45 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED, |
File Name: A2E26a26-BlackHeadedGrosbeak |
| © 2002 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Black-headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Poway, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2002:05:26 8:45 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED, |
File Name: A2E26a00-BlackHeadedGrosbeak |
| © 2002 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Black-headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Poway, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2002:05:02 8:45 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: |
File Name: A2E02b28BlackHeadedGrosbeak |
| © 2002 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Black-headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Poway, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2002:04:18 8:45 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED, |
File Name: A2D18a33-BlackHeadedGrosbeak |
| © 2002 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Black-headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Goodan Ranch, Sycamore Canyon. Poway, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:07 15:26 |
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Location:
Goodan Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/320 |
File Name: jcd9995BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2008 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Migrant passing through Mission Trails Regional Park, near Santee, California in San Diego County 2009-05-01. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:02 7:33 |
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Location:
Mission Trails Regional Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: jcd7287.BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Poway. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:04:19 16:04 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/80 |
File Name: D3X0491-BlackHeadedGrosbeak |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Fulmor Lake area. Images from the SDNHM study of the Santa Rosa, San Jacinto Mountains. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2010:06:29 9:38 |
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Location:
Fulmor Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 |
File Name: JCD1445.BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Goodan Ranch, Sycamore Canyon. Poway, California. San Diego County 2008-09-08. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:08 15:00 |
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Location:
Gooden Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: jcd0056BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Seen on drive through Zion National Park near Springdale, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:06 12:14 |
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Location:
Zion National Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/200 |
File Name: D3X9303-BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Seen on drive through Zion National Park near Springdale, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:06 12:13 |
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Location:
Zion National Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/200 |
File Name: D3X9291-BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: I met this bird along Link River Trail, upstream from where the Klamath River feeds into Lake Ewauna at Veteran's Park in Klamath Falls Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:05 11:39 |
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Location:
Link River |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X8842-BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Agua Dulce Creek, near the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 11:34 |
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Location:
Agua Dulce Creek |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X7910-BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Mount Laguna Town Center, along the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 8:38 |
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Location:
Mount Laguna |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 |
File Name: D3X7788-BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Jerry and I enjoyed our Friday visit to the riparian grove next to the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico so much, we returned on Monday to the bosque, as locals call it. Again, we met Black-Headed Grosbeaks along the hiking and biking trails that weave through the Cottonwood and Mulberry trees. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:18 8:38 |
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Location:
Tingley Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: BlackHeadedGrosbeak_D508170-TingleyBeach-ABQ |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
|
Description: Jerry and I enjoyed our Friday visit to the riparian grove next to the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico so much, we returned on Monday to the bosque, as locals call it. Again, we met Black-Headed Grosbeaks along the hiking and biking trails that weave through the Cottonwood and Mulberry trees. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:18 8:43 |
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Location:
Tingley Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: BlackHeadedGrosbeak_D508223-TingleyBeach-ABQ |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
|
Description: Jerry and I enjoyed our Friday visit to the riparian grove next to the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico so much, we returned on Monday to the bosque, as locals call it. Again, we met Black-Headed Grosbeaks along the hiking and biking trails that weave through the Cottonwood and Mulberry trees. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:18 8:44 |
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Location:
Tingley Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: BlackHeadedGrosbeak_D508248-TingleyBeach-ABQ |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Tecolote Canyon Reserve east of Mission Bay. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:04:03 12:06 |
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Location:
Tecolote Canyon |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X4776-BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Against a gray, overcast sky ay Birding Island, Payette River Wildlife Management Area outside of Payette Idaho. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:30 16:36 |
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Location:
Birding Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/4000 |
File Name: D3X6306-BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Poway California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2018:04:27 17:33 |
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Location:
Poway Grove Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: BlackHeadedGrosbeak_D503122-Poway |
| © 2018 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Agua Dulce Creek, near the Sunrise Highway, South Of Julian, California. San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:21 11:25 |
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Location:
Agua Dulce Creek |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X7901-BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Birds I met while camped at Dos Picos Park in Ramona California USA 2008-06-12. |
Date Taken: 2008:06:12 15:28 |
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Location:
Dos Picos Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: JCD6510BlackHeadedGrosbeak |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Black-Headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus) |
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Description: Vista Grande site. Images from the SDNHM study of the Santa Rosa, San Jacinto Mountains. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2010:06:28 8:31 |
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Location:
Vista Grande |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD1085.BlackHeadedGrosBeak |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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