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Coccothraustes vespertinus

(Evening Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak)

Conservation Status

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Population Analysis

  • For the 56,576 species in the Class Aves (Birds), we average 371.87 observations each in our database; for the Evening Grosbeak, we have 68,218 observations. Compared to other species in this Class, this species is extremely common.
  • A two-sample t-test can be used to determine whether the trend in observations of the Evening Grosbeak is the same as the trend in observations of Aves. Is this species just as common, as a proportion of all observations, as it once was? The answer is no, changes in observation rate of this species significantly differ from changes in observation rate of its Class. (t=17.059, p<0.001)
  • How do observation rates of the Evening Grosbeak differ from those of Aves? To answer this, we examined the percentage of observerations for Aves that were observations of the Evening Grosbeak each year. We then correlated this percentage with observation year. If observations of the Evening Grosbeak are becoming more common relative to other species of Aves, the correlation should be positive, but if it is becoming less common, the correlation should be negative. In fact, the correlation is positive (r=.53), with a positive slope (m = .0379), suggesting that the Evening Grosbeak may be increasing relative to other species of Aves. This correlation is statistically significant. (F = 23.49, p<.05)
  • The scatter chart to the right shows the percentage of all observations for Aves each year that were observations of the Evening Grosbeak.

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms:

  1. Hesperiphona vespertina (Cooper, 1825)
  2. Hesperiphona vespertina subsp. brooksi Grinnell, 1917
  3. Hesperiphona vespertina subsp. montana Ridgway, 1874
  4. Hesperiphona vespertina subsp. vespertina (Cooper, 1825)

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001

Physical Description

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Family Fringillidae:

A Family of seed-eating, small to moderately large passerine birds that have strong, stubby beaks, which in some species can be quite large. They have a bouncing flight, alternating flapping with gliding on closed wings. Most sing well.

Adult Female:

Head: Crown: silver-gray Face: Chin: white Color: silver-gray Malar: black Bill: Shape: conical Size: large Neck: Nape: yellowish Throat: white Body: Back: silver-gray Rump: gray-buff Underparts: gray-buff Tail: black with white tip Length: short Shape: notched Uppertail Coverts: black with white tips.

Adult Male:

Head: brownish Crown: black Face: Eyebrow Line: yellow Forehead: yellow Bill: white or greenish yellow Shape: conical Size: large Neck: Nape: brownish Body: Shape: stocky Tail: black Length: short Shape: notched.

Color:

Male: Yellow forehead, supercilium and body · Brown head and upperback · Black wings and tail · Large white patch in wing

Female: Gray upperparts · Pale gray underparts · Black wings and tail · White patches in wings

Adult male: Gray crown · Black throat, upper breast, and small mask; less black on throat in winter · Grayish side of neck and underparts · Rusty-brown nape and upperparts · Black streaks on back · White patch in wing · Gray rump · Black bill in summer; yellowish in winter

Female and immature: Gray-brown crown · Buffy line extends rearward from eye bordered below by gray-brown line · Grayish-white underparts · Black and tawny streaks on back · Black wing feathers with wide tawny edges · White patch on wing · Yellow bill · Immature males lack full throat patch of adults

Size/Age/Growth:

About 7.75 to 8.5 inches long, with a wingspan of 13 to 13.75 inches. Adults weigh about 2.1 ounces.

Images:

Distribution

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Range and Population

North America

Habitat

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Usually seen in flocks around feeders and trees or shrubs with berries.

Vegetation: tropical lowland evergreen forest, pine forests • Minimum Elevation: 1,500 meters • Maximum Elevation: 3,500 meters • Foraging Strata: Canopy • Center of Abundance: Upper montaine: mountains, upper range, above 3,600 m. • Relative Abundance in Tropical America: Patchily distributed • Sensitivity to Disturbance: Medium.

Diet

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Primarily:

Seeds Fruit Lesser Quantities of: Insects

Reproduction

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  • Breeding Habitat: Woodland
  • Nest Location: Mid-story/canopy nesting
  • Nest Type: Open-cup
  • Clutch Size: 2-5
  • Length of Incubation: 11-14 days
  • Days to Fledge: 13-14
  • Number of Broods: 2?

Migration

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Some migrate

Similar Species

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American Goldfinch

Members of the genus Coccothraustes:

There are approximately 45 species and subspecies in this genus: C. abeillei · C. abeillei abeillei · C. abeillei cobanensis · C. abeillei pallida · C. affinis · C. alpinus · C. carnipes · C. carnipes carnipes · C. chrysopeplus · C. coccotharustes · C. C. (Hawfinch) · C. C. C. (Hawfinch) · C. C. humii · C. C. japonica · C. C. japonicus · C. C. theresae · C. C. vespertinus · C. coccothrautes · C. coccothrautes japonics · C. ferreorostris · C. humii · C. icterioides · C. icteroides · C. japonicus · C. maculipennis · C. melanozanthos · C. migratorius · C. migratorius migratorius · C. migratorius sowerbyi · C. olivaceus · C. personata · C. personatus · C. personatus magnirostris · C. personatus personatus · C. personatus ssp · C. vespertina · C. vespertinus (Evening Grosbeak) · C. vespertinus brooksi · C. vespertinus montana · C. vespertinus montanus · C. vespertinus ssp · C. vespertinus vespertina · C. vespertinus vespertinea · C. vespertinus vespertinus · C. vespertinus warreni

Bibliography

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  • Alsop, Fred J. III. Birds of North America - Eastern Region. First American Edition. Smithsonian Handbooks. DK Publishing, Inc. 2001.
  • Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, A. L. Gardner, and W. C. Starnes 2003. Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada.
  • Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, and A. L. Gardner 1987. Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada. Resource Publication, no. 166. United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington, D.C., USA. 79.
  • Ehrlich, P., Dobkin, D., and Wheye, D. (1988). The Birders Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc. (info on clutch size, length of incubation, days to fledge and number of broods.)
  • Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc. (Length and wingspan info.)

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors:

  • Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
  • Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed October 11, 2006.
  • Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 29, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 12 providers.
  • Hines, J. E., Gregory Gough, J. R. Sauer, et al. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
  • Parker III, T.A., D.F. Stotz, and J.W. Fitzpatrick, &quot;Ecological and Distributional Databases for Neotropical Birds,&quot; in Neotropical Birds: Ecology and Conservation, by D.F. Stotz, T.A. Parker III, J.W. Fitzpatrick, and D.K. Moskovits (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996). ISBN 0-226-64676-9.
  • Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2005. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2004. Version 2005.2. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
  • Sauer, J. R., S. Schwartz, and B. Hoover. 1996. The Christmas Bird Count Home Page. Version 95.1. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 29, 2008:

  • Avian Knowledge Network: eBird
  • Avian Knowledge Network: Great Backyard Bird Count
  • Avian Knowledge Network: Project FeederWatch
  • Bird Studies Canada: Marsh Monitoring Program - Birds
  • Bird Studies Canada: Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 1981-1985
  • Bird Studies Canada: Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 2001-2005
  • Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics
  • Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: North West Territories and Nunavut Bird Checklist, Canada
  • Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Birds (Aves)
  • Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Royal British Columbia Museum
  • Canadian Museum of Nature: Canadian Museum of Nature Bird Collection
  • EMAN Provider: PIROP (Shipboard Surveys)
  • Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University: MCZ Ornithology Collection
  • New Brunswick Museum: NBM birds
  • Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History: Santa Barbara Musem of Natural History
  • UNIBIO, IBUNAM: CNAV/Coleccion Nacional de Aves
  • University of Alaska Museum of the North: University of New Mexico Museum of Southwestern Biology Bird Collection
  • University of Colorado Museum: Zoological specimens
  • University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ): Bird specimens

Identifiers:

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Last Revised: May 18, 2008