Evening Grosbeaks, the boys

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Like most bird species the male Evening Grosbeak are much more colorful than the females. Their gold overall plumage and large size make them stand out.
 Birds of North America online notes, "Irruptions often include other fringillids, such as Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus)...."  And interestingly the other bird in the pic above is a Pine Siskin, one of a number that have come in at the same time as the Evening Grosbeaks.
They most often seen in flocks and so they can empty feeders quickly. An 'irruptive' species, they wander in search of food resources (for the whole flock, not just feeders in one yard) showing up irregularly.
In a couple of past years Evening Grosbeak stayed in my area until around May when they moved to breeding areas (they breed in conifers and spruce forests which are at higher elevation than Canon City). And they even returned a couple of years with their offspring and fed the kids in my feeders, funny looking as the offspring are the same size as the adults standing in seed waiting for a parent to put a seed in it's bill. Would enjoy that again, we shall see. SeEtta

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