Rose-Breasted Grosbeak: Temporary Guest

I was fortunate to host yet another beautiful migrant bird for a couple of days.  The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak is a long distance migrant from its wintering grounds in Central and northern South America. Most of them fly across the Gulf of Mexico in a single night, although some migrate over land around the Gulf. They spend late Spring and Summer in the northern part of the United States and southern part of Canada, their breeding grounds.  

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks often visit bird feeders, where they eat sunflower seeds as well as safflower seeds and raw peanuts. Even if you live outside their summer range you may still catch one visiting during spring or fall migration if you keep your feeders stocked.

I hope to see one or more of these birds during the fall migration back to their wintering grounds.  This male is beautiful!