Rose-Breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)


Group	Cardinals
Code	ABPBX61030
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Cardinalidae
Author	(Linnaeus, 1766)
Rank	G5 (definitions)
Occurrence	LM (definitions)
Scale	C (definitions)

County List:


Western UP	all
Eastern UP	all
Northern LP	all
Southern LP	all

Rule:

Forested or Mixed Forested/Nonforested Landscapes

1st alternative:
      (Oak (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Assorted Hardwoods (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Northern Hardwoods (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Northern Hardwoods (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Upland Hardwoods (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
   containing:
      Mast
   adjacent to:
      Edge

2nd alternative:
      (Oak (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Assorted Hardwoods (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Northern Hardwoods (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Northern Hardwoods (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Upland Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
   containing:
      (Mast and Stand/Gap Openings)

view decision rule term definitions

Habitat List:

Habitats	Regen	Sap	Pole	Sm Saw	Lg Saw	Uneven
Aspen	no	no	no	no	no	-
Paper Birch	no	no	no	no	no	-
Oak	no	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Assorted Hardwoods	no	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Northern Hardwoods	no	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Spruce/Fir	no	no	no	no	no	no
Hemlock	no	no	no	no	no	no
Jack Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Red Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
White Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Conifer Plantations	no	no	no	no	no	-
Mixed Upland Hardwoods	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Upland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Swamp Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch	no	no	no	no	no	no
Bottomland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Tamarack	no	no	no	no	no	no
Northern White Cedar	no	no	no	no	no	no
Black Spruce	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Non-Forested	none
Special Features	Mast, Edges, Stand (Gap) Openings

view size class definitions

Literature:

Carlson, S. 1991. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Pages 458-459 In: R. Brewer, G. A. McPeek, and R. J. Adams, Jr. (eds.) The atlas of breeding birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing. 594 pp.

Habitat: The Rose-breasted Grosbeak inhabits deciduous forest, orchards, and parks. In some places wet and swampy areas with young growth are favored. In the Atlas Habitat Survey, it was observed in 14 of 22 habitat categories. Throughout the state grosbeaks preferred mesic deciduous forest, followed by dry deciduous and wet deciduous forests. Mesic mixed forest was heavily used in the northern Lower Peninsula, but not in the Upper Peninsula. Birds were also reported from residential and shrub-dominated landscapes.

This grosbeak usually nests in deciduous trees or shrubs 1 to 7 m (4 to 20 ft) above ground. The nest is a flimsy, loose cup of small twigs, grasses, weed stems and decayed leaves. Males have the unusual habit of singing from the nest.

DeGraaf, R. M. and D. D. Rudis. 1986. New England wildlife: habitat, natural history, and distribution. GTR NE-108. Broomall, PA:USDA, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 491 pp.

Habitat: Breeding: Edges of moist deciduous second-growth woods, wooded borders of swamps and streams, thickets, suburban trees, old orchards.

Special Habitat Requirements: An edge. Ideal habitat is the interface of tall forest trees and fields with dense high shrubs and tangles.

Kaufman, K. 1996. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 675 pp.

Habitat: Deciduous woods, orchards, groves. Breeds mostly in open deciduous woods, sometimes in mixed woods, favoring edges or openings with combination of shrubs and tall trees rather than unbroken forest. In migration, may occur in any wooded or semi-open area.

Diet: Mostly insects, seeds, and berries. About half of annual diet may be insects, including beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, true bugs, and others, also spiders and snails. Eats many seeds including those of trees such as elms, and sometimes eats buds and flowers. May feed heavily on berries and small fruits in late summer and fall. Young are fed mostly insects.

Nest: Placed in deciduous tree or large shrub (occasionally in conifer), usually 5-20 feet above ground, sometimes much higher. Nest is an open cup, rather loosely made of twigs, weeds, leaves, lined with finer twigs, rootlets, and sometimes animal hair. May be so flimsy that eggs are visible through the nest from below.