Diet
What do evening grosbeaks eat?
Seeds, buds and spruce budworm larvae.
Finches (Fringillidae)Evening GrosbeakCoccothraustes vespertinus
Spring and summer diet
- Spruce budworm caterpillars
Fall and winter diet
- Maple, box elder and ash seeds
Best feeder foods
- Black-oil sunflower
Flocks can empty a feeder in a morning during irruption years; populations have declined sharply since the 1980s.
Where evening grosbeaks need winter food
Regions where evening grosbeaks are present in the cold months:
AlbertaArizonaBritish ColumbiaColoradoConnecticutIdahoMaineManitobaMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundland and LabradorNorth DakotaNova ScotiaOhioOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandQuebecSaskatchewanSouth DakotaUtahVermontWashingtonWisconsinWyoming
Frequently asked
What do evening grosbeaks eat?
Seeds, buds and spruce budworm larvae.
What is the best food to feed evening grosbeaks?
Black-oil sunflower.
What do evening grosbeaks eat in winter?
Maple, box elder and ash seeds.
Sources
- Evening Grosbeak — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Evening Grosbeak life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Evening Grosbeak — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.