About Pinicola enucleator (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pinicola enucleator, commonly known as the pine grosbeak, is one of the largest species in the true finch family. It measures 20 to 25.5 cm (7.9 to 10.0 in) in length and weighs 52 to 78 g (1.8 to 2.8 oz), with an average mass of 56.4 g (1.99 oz). Its wingspan is 33 cm (13.0 in). Among standard body measurements, the wing chord ranges from 10.2 to 11.6 cm (4.0 to 4.6 in), the tail ranges from 7.8 to 9.5 cm (3.1 to 3.7 in), the bill ranges from 1.4 to 1.65 cm (0.55 to 0.65 in), and the tarsus ranges from 1.9 to 2.3 cm (0.75 to 0.91 in). Adult pine grosbeaks have a long, forked black tail, black wings with white wing bars, and a large, conical bill. Adult males have rose-red coloration on the head, back, and rump, along with black wings and tail. Adult females have olive-yellow coloration on the head and rump, and grey coloration on the back and underparts. Young birds have less contrasting overall plumage, and appear shaggy when they moult their colored head plumage. The species' voice varies geographically, and includes the whistled calls pui pui pui or chii-vli. Its song is a short musical warble. Pine grosbeaks breed in the boreal forests of northern Eurasia and North America. Most individuals either stay resident near their breeding grounds or migrate relatively short distances to the southern extent of boreal forests. During irruptive years, more individuals travel to southern boreal forests, and some move even further south. In these years in the New World, pine grosbeaks can occur well south of their typical winter distribution, which covers the northern Great Lakes region and northern New England in the United States. This species is a very rare vagrant to temperate parts of Europe; for example, across all of Germany, no more than 4 individuals per year have been recorded since 1980, and often none are recorded at all. Pine grosbeaks also live in coniferous forests and other similar types of woodland. The breeding habitat of the pine grosbeak is coniferous forest. They build their nest on a horizontal branch or in a fork of a conifer. This species is a permanent resident across most of its range; in the extreme northern parts of its range, or when food sources are scarce, individuals may migrate farther south. When breeding, both sexes develop gular pouches that they use to store seeds before feeding them to their young. Pine grosbeaks forage in trees and bushes. They mainly feed on seeds, buds, berries, and insects. Outside of the nesting season, they often feed in flocks.
