The Evening grosbeak (Hesperiphona vespertina) is a passerine bird found in North America. The genus Hesperiphona was introduced by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1850; it originates from Ancient Greek and Latin words and means "evening" and "cry."
The Evening grosbeak is similar in appearance to the Eurasian hawfinch, both being bulky, heavily built finches with large bills and short tails. The adult has a short black tail, black wings, and a large pale bill. The adult male has a bright yellow forehead and body; its head is brown and there is a large white patch in the wing. The adult female is mainly olive-brown, greyer on the underparts, and with white patches in the wings.
Evening grosbeaks breed across Canada, the western mountainous areas of the United States, and Mexico. The migration of these birds is variable and in some winters, they may wander as far south as the southern U.S. Evening grosbeaks inhabit coniferous and mixed forests and may sometimes be found in rural gardens and urban areas.
Evening grosbeaks are social birds and in winter form large flocks; during the breeding season, they usually spend time in pairs and may gather in small groups. Evening grosbeaks are diurnal spending daylight hours foraging in trees and bushes, and sometimes on the ground. They are noisy birds and have a loud distinctive 'chew' call, similar to a glorified House sparrow.
Evening grosbeaks are herbivores (granivores) and carnivores (insectivores). They eat a wide variety of seeds and also some berries and maple sap. In summer their diet also includes various insects, invertebrates, and spruce budworm larvae. Sometimes, they will swallow fine gravel.
Evening grosbeaks are monogamous and form pairs. During courtship display the male performs a “dance” and may also feed the female. The nest is built on a horizontal branch or on a fork of a tree; it is usually built by a female. The clutch is 3 to 4 eggs incubated by the female for about 12-14 days. Chicks hatch helpless with closed eyes and sparse down. Both parents feed their nestling until they fledge which usually occurs 13-14 days after hatching.
The Evening grosbeak is not threatened at present, however, its population is declining rapidly. It is suggested that the main causes include logging and other development in their habitat, decline of insect prey, and collisions with windows.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Evening grosbeak is 5.1 million individuals or 3.4 million mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
Evening grosbeaks play a very important role in their native ecosystem. They feed on big amounts of the spruce budworm which is a parasite of many pulpwood forest stands and can cause damage to trees.
