This year is bringing birds to my yard that I'm not used to seeing in my area. I need to get a book. Does anyone know what these are?

No clue, but they sure are beautiful!

could it be a rose breasted grosbeak? We just had a pair at our feeder for the first time ever. I live in NJ so I only have the Eastern Birds Peterson Field Guide.

I think you're right!! From what I just read about their Range, New York or New Jersey is not a listed area for them.



I found this about them.

DESCRIPTION:
Size:
8 inches (20 cm)

Abundance:
• Common

Quick Identification:
• Male: red triangle on white chest
• Black head and back
• White patches on wing
• Female: Brown with white eyebrow and two wing bars

Identification Tips:
• Large, conical, pale bill

Adult male:
• Rosy-red, triangular breast patch
• Black head and upperparts
• White underparts
• White patches in wing
• White spots in black tail
• Red wing linings
• Immature males similar to female but have some red on breast

Adult female:
• Black and white crown stripes
• White underparts with extensive streaking
• Dark gray upperparts
• Yellow wing linings
• Immature and nonbreeding plumages similar to adult female
• Juvenile like adult female but has buffier breast

Similar species:
• Female-plumaged Black-headed Grosbeak is very similar to female-plumaged Rose-breasted Grosbeak but has buffier breast and has streaking confined to the sides.

HABITAT:
Open woodlands near water, thick brush, large trees near open areas, marsh borders, overgrown pastures, dense growth of small trees, woodland edges, gardens, parks.

NESTING & FEEDING:

BREEDING: Deciduous forest, woodland, second growth. 1 or 2 broods. Mating system is monogamous.

DISPLAYS: Courtship: male sings in flight pursuit of female; male crouches, spreads and droops wings with tail spread and slightly elevated, retracts head with nape against back; male sings and waves head and body in erratic dance.

NEST: Loosely built of twigs, coarse plant material, lined with fine twigs, rootlets, hair. Cup shaped nest, 5-15 feet above the ground. Male may select site. Female builds nest with help from male.

EGGS: 3-5 pale green, blue, or bluish-green, marked with browns, purples; usually wreathed or capped. 1.0" (25 mm).

CHICK DEVELOPMENT: Both sexes incubate. Incubation takes 13-14 days. Development is altricial (immobile, downless, eyes closed, fed). Young leave the nest after 9-12 days. Both sexes tend young.

DIET: Insects, seeds, fruit, buds. Including some flowers. Occasionally gleans from ground.

CONSERVATION: Winters from c Mexico to n South America, but most abundant in n portion of range, most commonly in highlands. Common cowbird host. Popular cage bird in wintering range.

NOTES: Male sings from nest while incubating or brooding; occasionally sings at night. Female occasionally sings softer, shorter song than male. When double brooded, male cares for fledged young while female builds new nest. Females forage by hover gleaning more than males and tend to forage higher than males. Forms winter flocks of up to 20 in plantations, clearings.

WORLD RANGE:
Pheucticus ludovicianus ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. Deciduous forest, woodland, second growth. From ne British Columbia, sw,sc Mackenzie, n Alberta and n Saskatchewan e across s Canada to s Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and s to c Alberta, s Saskatchewan, c N. and S. Dakota, c,se Kansas, e Wyoming, e Colorado, c Oklahoma, s Missouri, s Illinois, c Indiana, n Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware and s in Appalachians to n Georgia. Winters from se,sw Mexico s through C. America to w,n S. America s to Peru, and in w Cuba. Vagrant to w U.S.; a few summer and others winter in California. Hybridizes with P. melanocephalus in areas of overlap; sometimes regarded as conspecific.

Yup, that's what they are. We always seem to have a pair or two nesting around here every summer. Beautiful birds, with a really lovely morning song. They really sing their hearts out!

You lucky! We get 1 male that comes thru on migration, but 2!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!! I'm gettin' jealous