Evening Grosbeak Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesEvening Grosbeak
Adult male
Large, heavyset finch with a very thick, conical bill. Adult males are yellow and black birds with a prominent white patch in the wings. Note bright-yellow stripe over the eye.
© bellemare celine / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, October 23, 2018Female/immature male
Large and stocky finch with an enormous bill. Females/immatures are mostly gray, with white-and-black wings and a greenish-yellow tinge to the neck and flanks.
© County Lister Brendan / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, June 04, 2017Adult male
Flashy white wing patches help make it conspicuous in foliage. Also note hefty pale bill and yellow eyebrow.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 30, 2004Not all videos have sound
Adult male
Heavy-bodied finch with a hefty bill. Adult males are mustard yellow below with a brighter yellow eyebrow.
© Ryan O'Donnell / Macaulay LibraryUtah, May 07, 2011Female/immature male
Females/immatures are grayish overall with a yellow wash on the neck. Note black-and-white wings with a white rectangular patch.
© Kyle Blaney / Macaulay LibraryOntario, April 05, 2017Male and female
Both males and females have a lime green bill during the breeding season.
© Andres Vasquez Noboa / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, May 19, 2019Female/immature male
Uses its hefty bill to crush sunflower seeds at bird feeders.
© Alix d'Entremont / Macaulay LibraryNova Scotia, January 31, 2015Flock
Makes very erratic movements south into the continental United States in some winters, when they can become common at backyard feeders.
© Anne Burnette / Macaulay LibraryOntario, December 26, 2016Flock
Often found in flocks, particularly in winter in evergreen and deciduous forests.
© Jenn Megyesi / Macaulay LibraryVermont, December 13, 2016Similar SpeciesPine Grosbeak
Female
Pine Grosbeaks have stubbier bills than Evening Grosbeaks. Females have greenish-yellow on the head, unlike the female Evening Grosbeak’s gray head. Pine Grosbeaks have gray wings with white wingbars, whereas Evening Grosbeaks have black wings with a large white patch.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, December 01, 2007Similar SpeciesAmerican Goldfinch
Breeding male
American Goldfinches are much smaller with smaller bills than Evening Grosbeaks. Breeding males also lack the male Evening Grosbeak's large white wing patches.
© David Carr / Macaulay LibraryWest Virginia, April 30, 2017Similar SpeciesAmerican Goldfinch
Nonbreeding male
American Goldfinches are much smaller with smaller bills than Evening Grosbeaks. Nonbreeding males have brown bodies with contrasting black wings, unlike the grayish bodies of female Evening Grosbeaks.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 08, 2016Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Fringillidae)
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