General Description: Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (Pheucticus ludovicianus) are large, sexually dimorphic songbirds with very large bills. Adult males are black and white with a rose-colored wash across the breast. The head, wings, back, and tail are mostly black. The underwings are red. The belly is white, and the wings and tail have white. Females are a dull version of the male, but with a bold white eyeline (similar to Black-headed Grosbeak females), black streaks on the sides, and buff under the wings.

Taxonomy: Passeriformes, Cardinalidae.

Favored Habitat: Rose-breasted Grosbeaks prefer deciduous trees with tasty fruits and breed in the Northeast and across Canada.

Where to Find: Don't look for Rose-breasted Grosbeaks around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them back east and across Canada. Around Las Vegas, keep an eye out for them during migration in places like Corn Creek, where they gorge on mulberries during spring, and other places with deciduous trees (Floyd Lamb Park, Clark County Wetlands Park). They sometimes show up in the conifer forests on Mt. Charleston.

Comments: Spring and fall migrants only.