Birds
Evening Grosbeak
Coccothraustes vespertinus · also called evening grosbeaks
Cracking open a cherry pit with a bill powerful enough to break what most seed-eating birds cannot, an evening grosbeak represents a species that has lost more than 90 percent of its population in recent decades, one of the steepest declines documented in any North American bird.
Overview
The evening grosbeak, Coccothraustes vespertinus, is a bold, black-and-yellow finch native to forest habitat across much of North America. Its massive seed-crushing bill, historical eastward range expansion, and catastrophic recent population decline make it one of the most conservation-urgent and physically distinctive finches found anywhere on the continent.
A striking bird in genuine crisis
Once a familiar and abundant sight at winter feeders across much of North America, the evening grosbeak has quietly become one of the continent’s most rapidly declining songbirds, a crisis unfolding largely out of public view despite the species’ bold, unmistakable appearance.
Status
Vulnerable, having lost more than 90 percent of its population in recent decades due to a combination of forest change and reduced food availability still being studied by researchers.
Evening Grosbeak: common questions
Why has the evening grosbeak declined so severely?
This species has lost more than 90 percent of its population in recent decades according to some assessments, a decline linked to a combination of forest change, reduced outbreaks of the spruce budworm that once provided an abundant food source, and other factors still being studied by researchers.
Why does the evening grosbeak have such a large bill?
This species has an unusually large, powerful conical bill capable of crushing hard seed coverings, including cherry pits, that most other seed-eating birds cannot open, giving it access to food resources unavailable to many smaller-billed finches.
Why did the evening grosbeak expand its range eastward?
This species historically expanded its breeding range eastward across North America, a shift linked partly to the spread of boxelder trees, which provided a new food source, and the increasing availability of bird feeders offering reliable winter food.
Is the evening grosbeak's winter range predictable?
No, this species moves nomadically in winter, with irruptions southward occurring unpredictably depending on the availability of seed and berry crops further north, meaning its presence in any given area can vary considerably from year to year.