Pheucticus melanocephalus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The black-headed grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) is a medium-sized, seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is sometimes considered conspecific with the rose-breasted grosbeak (P. ludovicianus) with which it hybridizes on the American Great Plains.
The 19 cm (7.5 in) long, 47 g (1.7 oz) black-headed grosbeak is a migratory bird, with nesting grounds from southwestern British Columbia, through the western half of the United States, into central Mexico. It occurs as a vagrant further south in Central America.
Measurements: Length: 7.1–7.5 in (18–19 cm) Weight: 1.2–1.7 oz (34–48 g) Wingspan: 12.6 inches (32 cm) The black-headed grosbeak is similar in size to a common starling. As per its name, the male has a black head, and black wings and tail with prominent white patches. Its breast is dark to tawny orange in color, and its belly is yellow. The female has a brown head, neck, and back with sparrow-like black streaks. She also has white streaks down the middle of her head, over her eyes, and on her cheeks. Her breast is white, and wings and tail are grayish-brown with two white wing bars and yellowish wing edges.
The black-headed grosbeak... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parque Zoológico de León - Zooleón | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Xcaret | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Parque museo La Venta | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Grosbeak sighting in Badlands National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 108th most-seen of the 120 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Grosbeak in Badlands National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-headed Grosbeak sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
23rd of 26
Of the 26 parks where we can rate Black-headed Grosbeak sightings, Badlands National Park ranks 23rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Yosemite National Park (United States, about 40%), Zion National Park (United States, about 30%) and Big Bend National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same family: Cardinalidae
The closest relatives of the Black-headed Grosbeak that you can see in Badlands National Park (family Cardinalidae, Cardinals and Allies) are Blue Grosbeak (about 30%) and Dickcissel (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-headed Grosbeak is recorded against all the birds logged in Badlands National Park (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
