Black-headed Grosbeak Pheuclicus melanocephalus
STANFORD LOCATIONS: Uncommon migrant in various habitats throughout campus, most common near the Dish where it breeds in small numbers in wooded areas.

Nest Location	Nest Type	Eggs Mating System	Dev. Parental Care	Primary & 2ndary Diet	Foraging Strategy
			MF I: 12-13 DAYS ALTRICIAL
SHRUB 4 feet - 12 feet	F	3-4 (2-5) MONOG	F: 11-12 DAYS MF	SEEDS FRUIT

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BREEDING:	Riparian woodland and thickets, edges of ponds, open woodland. 1? brood.
DISPLAYS:	Courting male performs song-flights above female with his wings and tail spread while singing nearly continuously, then returns to original perch. Song-flights also occur during incubation.
NEST:	Bulky, loosely built of twigs, plant stems, rootlets, lined with finer stems and rootlets. Built in 3-4 days.
EGGS:	Pale green, blue, or bluish-green, marked with browns or purples, esp at larger end. 1.0" (25 mm).
DIET:	Includes spiders, occ buds.
CONSERVATION:	Winters s through Mexico to Oaxaca and Veracruz. Uncommon cowbird host.
NOTES:	Both sexes occ sing on nest and are difficult to flush from nest; female songs less complex, more variable than male songs. Female very aggressive in defending territory against other Black-headed Grosbeaks. Both sexes brood. Young able to fly at ca. 15 days; may recognize parents' songs.
ESSAYS:	Great Plains Hybrids; Decline of Eastern Songbirds; Bills; Territoriality.
REFERENCES:	Kroodsma, 1974; Ritchison, 1983, 1985.

Help	Abbreviations	Species-Alphabetical	Species-Taxonomic	Essays-Alphabetical	Essays-Categorized
Except for Stanford Locations, the material in this species treatment is taken, with permission, from The Birder's Handbook (Paul Ehrlich, David Dobkin, & Darryl Wheye, Simon & Schuster, NY. 1988).