Evening Grosbeak

The Evening Grosbeak is a bulky finch with a massive, bone-colored bill. Males are striking with yellow bodies, black wings with large white patches, and a bold yellow eyebrow.

Vivid lemon-yellow and deep smoky-gray/slate. The yellow is a carotenoid-based pigment characteristic of male plumage.

Mix of plumulaceous (downy) at the base for insulation and pennaceous (firm) at the distal end for weatherproofing.

Thin, flexible rachis; barbs are densely packed at the tip and loose/downy toward the proximal end.

Silky and soft to the touch; the yellow portions have a slight gloss while the gray portions are matte.

These appear to be from the flank, breast, or back of a male bird, given the mix of vibrant yellow and slate gray.

High-contrast combination of bright yellow and slate gray feathers from a songbird with significant bulk.

Coniferous and mixed forests, particularly those with spruces, firs, and maples; often visits bird feeders in winter.

Breeds across southern Canada and the western United States; irruptive winter migrant to the eastern US.

Seed predator with a specialized bill for cracking hard pits; also consumes spruce budworms during outbreaks.

American Goldfinch (much smaller, different yellow hue) or Yellow-headed Blackbird (different gray/black distribution).

Despite their name, they are not particularly active in the evening; they were named by early settlers who only saw them at dusk during migration.

Historically admired by birders for their 'irruptive' winter behavior; no significant commercial use today.

Look for these feathers near coniferous roosts or beneath bird feeders during winter irruption years.

Poor. The feathers are part of a carcass or predated remains, appearing matted, soiled, and disconnected from the body.