Cardinals (Cardinalidae)

Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) - HBW 16, p. 407

French: Cardinal à tête noire German: Schwarzkopf-Kernknacker Spanish: Picogrueso Cabecinegro

Taxonomy: Guiraca melanocephalus Swainson, 1827, Tableland, Temascaltepec, Mexico.
In the past, this species and P. ludovicianus sometimes placed in a separate genus, Hedymeles; the two have been thought to form a superspecies, and frequently considered conspecific; they hybridize in overlap zone E of Rocky Mts. Proposed race rostratus (Nuevo León, in NE Mexico) included within nominate. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

maculatus (Audubon, 1837) - breeds along Pacific coast from SW Canada (SW British Columbia S from c. 53° N, also S Vancouver I) S in W USA to California and to extreme NW Mexico (to c. 30° N in Baja California); winters S Baja California and mainland Mexico.
melanocephalus (Swainson, 1827) - breeds from SW Canada (SE British Columbia, S Alberta and SW Saskatchewan) and WC USA (NW North Dakota, S through Rocky Mts and W Great Plains) S through Mexican highlands to Oaxaca; winters within Mexican breeding range.

Least Concern

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17 photos

male bird photographed at Santa Rita Lodge Locality Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona, USA (United States)
Tom Moxley 30 April 2011 2 years ago 4.3
Black-headed Grosebeak Locality Denver, Colorado, USA (United States)
Mike Ross 14 July 2011 1 year ago 4.3
Female at a feeder Locality Cave Creek Canyon, Cochise County, Arizona, USA (United States)
Erik Breden 10 August 2007 3 years ago 4
Black headed Grosbeak male in breeding plumage Locality Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, USA (United States)
georgeanast 8 May 2009 4 years ago 4
Black-headed Grosebeak working the brush at the Audabon's Center. Locality Denver, Colorado, USA (United States)
Mike Ross 18 July 2011 1 year ago 3.8
Male - perched on a tree branch Locality Hope, British Columbia, Canada
Blair Wainman 22 June 2010 2 years ago 3.8
Breeding male Black-headed Grosbeak Locality Cave Creek Canyon, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, USA (United States)
Andrew Shaw 6 May 2009 18 weeks ago 3.7
Perched bird right after a bath. Locality Cathedral Grove, MacMillan Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada (ssp maculatus)
Ken Simonite 29 July 2012 39 weeks ago 3.7
Female Locality Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA (United States)
Juan Carlos Marín 24 June 2007 4 years ago 3.7
Male - perched on a tree branch Locality Hope, British Columbia, Canada
Blair Wainman 18 June 2010 2 years ago 3.6
adult male on barbed wire fence Locality Tepepan, Mexico DF State, Mexico (Northern)
Hector Ceballos-Lascurain 25 March 2008 1 year ago 3.2
Male at a feeder Locality Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona, USA (United States)
Erik Breden 10 August 2007 3 years ago 3
A male on the ground Locality Portal, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, USA (United States)
Tadeusz Stawarczyk 14 May 2006 3 years ago 3
A female perching on a branch Locality Portal, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, USA (United States)
Tadeusz Stawarczyk 29 April 2007 4 years ago 3
Female Black-headed Grosbeak Locality Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, USA (United States)
georgeanast 8 May 2009 4 years ago 3
Male at feeders. Locality Cave Creek Ranch, Cave Creek Canyon, Cochise County, Arizona, USA (United States)
Miriam Bauman 18 May 2009 2 years ago 2.8
Black-Headed Grosbeak Perched on a wire Locality Goleta, Santa Barbara County, California, USA (United States)
Justin Watts 23 April 2011 2 years ago 2.4