Cardinals (Cardinalidae)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) - HBW 16, p. 407

French: Cardinal à poitrine rose German: Rosenbrust-Kernknacker Spanish: Picogrueso Pechirrosado
Other common names: Common Grosbeak

Taxonomy: Loxia ludoviciana Linnaeus, 1766, Louisiana, USA.
In the past, this species and P. melanocephalus 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. Monotypic.

Distribution: Breeds S Canada from extreme S District of MacKenzie E to Great Slave L and NE British Columbia, and C & N Alberta, E to Ontario (S from N shore of L Superior), S Quebec (S of c. 49°) and SE Newfoundland, S in USA to NE North Dakota, E South Dakota, NE Nebraska, NC Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and inland at higher altitudes to extreme N Georgia. Migrates to region from NE & W Mexico (from SW Tamaulipas and Nayarit) S through Central America to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, rarely E to Guyana; also West Indies (mostly Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Is) and sparingly Bermuda.