I love having strangers visit my yard – bird strangers, that is, not humans. One such bird that comes by on occasion is the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. One stopped by this week, and I considered that my lucky day.
There is an old saying, in fact, that simply seeing this lovely bird is associated with hope, joy and good fortune. It is a sign of positive changes on the horizon and who couldn’t use a few of those?
Positive or not, the little fellows are certainly beautiful. Adult males have a rosy triangle on their chest, with a jet-black head and big white spots on their wings. Females and young birds are sort of Plain Janes, all dark brown above with stripes below, similar to a sparrow.
They feed mostly on insects, seeds, and berries. Insects can include beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, true bugs, spiders and snails. In late summer, they feed heavily on berries and small fruits. Young birds are fed mostly insects.
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are quite the travelers. They are often spotted in Virginia during spring (April–May) and fall (September–October) migrating from Central/South America to their northern breeding grounds. I suppose the one I saw was headed north. Godspeed, little fellow!
