How did such a beautiful bird get a name like “grosbeak?” In this case, gross means big, not disgusting, and refers to the large beak. These birds make good use of their massive bills –- they work just like a pair of pliers for cracking open the toughest of seeds. Ornithologists treat them with respect -– they can deliver a painful pinch!

Evening grosbeaks come to mountain areas like Leavenworth to breed and raise a family. They eat mainly seeds from maple and ash, but they like the sunflower seeds at feeders, too. They supplement their diet with insects.

The male has a dark head with a yellow crown, called a supercilium. Bright yellow on the back and undersides make him unmistakable. The female is brownish-gray with some yellow under the wings. Both have relatively short tails and white wing patches that are easy to spot when they fly.

Evening grosbeaks can be found in the Leavenworth area in mixed conifer forests or at feeders like the ones at Run of the River. You may spot a group of them at a fire ring in a campground in Icicle Canyon, where they eat the ash for its mineral content.