Monday, September 16, 2013

Young Rose Breasted Grosbeaks and Cardinals are Becoming Adults

It has been a fun day.  We are watching all the young birds at the feeders.  They are as big as their parents now and just beginning to get their adult colors.  There are a lot of Rose Breasted Grosbeaks.  They will be leaving soon, but right now they are eating a lot.

Adult Male Rose Breasted Grosbeak



The male Rose Breasted Grosbeak is a bright black and white bird with a brilliant red breast.  The young one in the photo below is looking pretty bedraggled.  He is just starting to get his adult colors.

Young male rose breasted grosbeak.

A few days later I saw him on the birdfeeder.  He is looking a lot better.  Soon he will look just like his dad.


As with a lot of species, the females look much different.  The Rose Breasted Grosbeak female is shades of brown.  It is really hard to tell the difference between the female adult and the juveniles.  We had one hit the window the other day but she was just stunned and flew off eventually.

This one hit the window but fortunately she survived.

Female Rose Breasted Grosbeak

We also have many young cardinals.  It is hard to tell which are male and females at this stage.

I'm not sure if this is a male or female.  It does look like this adult female shown below.


Adult Female Cardinal

These young birds don't have red beaks yet.

Everyday they change a little bit.  The Grosbeaks will migrate but the cardinals will not.  We get to enjoy them all year long.

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