Pheucticus melanocephalus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
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 |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Grosbeak sighting in Zion National Park on a given day, based on 1,058 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 183 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Grosbeak in Zion National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–March and October–December, the lowest months. That is one of Zion National Park's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 75 mm in March.
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.
2nd of 26
Of the 26 parks where we can rate Black-headed Grosbeak sightings, Zion National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Yosemite National Park (United States, about 40%).
Same family: Cardinalidae
The closest relatives of the Black-headed Grosbeak that you can see in Zion National Park (family Cardinalidae, Cardinals and Allies) are Western Tanager (about 20%), Summer Tanager (about 10%) and Lazuli Bunting (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 Zion National Park (1,058 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.
