A black-and-white male rose-breasted grosbeak with a red chest patch. — Photo: John Harrison, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Pheucticus ludovicianus

A black-and-white songbird whose males wear a bright rose-red patch on the chest; a cousin of the cardinal.

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About the Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Rose-breasted grosbeaks are 7 to 9 inches long with an 11- to 13-inch wingspan. Males are black and white with a red triangle on the chest; females are brown and white. In summer they live in leafy woods, parks, riverbanks and orchards, and in winter they move to tropical forest edges. They eat insects, seeds and fruit, and they visit feeders for sunflower seeds.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Pheucticus ludovicianus^[1]
Size: 7 to 9 inches long; 11- to 13-inch wingspan.^[1]
Lifespan: 2 to 10 years.^[1]
Diet: Insects, seeds and fruit.^[1]
Habitat: Deciduous woods, forest edges, parks and orchards; tropical forest edges in winter.^[1]
Group life: Territorial pairs in summer; winter flocks of a dozen or more. Migrates at night.^[1]
Babies: 1 to 5 eggs, usually 4.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).^[2]

Fun facts

A male may sing more than 600 songs in a day.^[1]
Its call sounds like a basketball shoe squeaking on a gym floor.^[1]
Their nests can be so thin you can see the eggs from below.^[1]

Vocabulary

songbird: A perching bird that can sing; songbirds make up about half of all bird species.
migrate: To travel from one region to another with the seasons.
mob: When birds gang up to chase away a predator.
clutch: A group of eggs laid at one time.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Bird HouseSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Rose-breasted grosbeak.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/rose-breasted-grosbeak (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Pheucticus ludovicianus (Rose-breasted Grosbeak).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22723813/132168899 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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