Rose-breasted Grosbeak

    The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is one of five species of grosbeaks that occur in North America. The Rose-breasted, Black-headed and Blue Grosbeaks, members of the family Emberizidae (buntings, sparrows), are Neotropical migrants that nest in the USA but withdraw to Mexico and Central America in the winter months.   The Pine and Evening Grosbeaks, members of the family Fringillidae (finches, crossbills) are resident in North America.  Rose-breasted Grosbeaks provide an important economic service by consuming large numbers of destructive insect pests such as grasshoppers, cankerworms, tent caterpillars, tussock moths, gypsy moths, brown-tailed moths, and the Colorado potato beetle, which gives it its local name potato-bug bird. Unfortunately, populations are declining in many areas, especially in the east.  Banding studies show that Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are medium distance migrants that live 9 or more years in the wild. Captive birds have lived from 15 to 24 years.

http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/rbgrosbeak.htm

Photographs taken near New Concord, Ohio.

House Finch

   In the 1930s, native southwestern House Finches were marketed by the pet trade as “Hollywood Finches” and sold in New York City. When the practice of selling wild songbirds became illegal in 1940, some irresponsible pet dealers released a few captive House Finches on Long Island in order to avoid prosecution. The small population struggled for survival for many years, but by the 1950s had become established among the urban buildings in New York City. The range of the House Finch rapidly expanded from there,likely due to attempts to attract these birds to backyard bird feeders. House Finches are now seen in most areas of the contiguous United States, and have been reported in 31 Florida counties. They are fully established in the northern portions of the state, with breeding populations present for at least ten years.  House Finches are native to the southwestern United States west of the Rocky Mountains and to Mexico. They thrive in a variety of habitats wherever seeds are abundant, including forests, deserts, grasslands, savannas, urban areas, and agricultural lands.    http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw298

House finches also can be found in a yellow morph phase.  Both photographs taken along Clay Pike Road near New Concord, Ohio.

Special thanks to Jim and Edna Todd.

Indigo Bunting

The indigo bunting is a neotropical migrant. It usually migrates at night and can travel as far as 2,000 miles to its winter range. The Indigo Bunting, a member of the finch family, is a familiar summer visitor to Eastern North America. There should be plenty of migrants Sunday morning in the Dunedin Hammocks where we will once again be banding. All photographs taken in Dunedin Hammocks.