Ahem, dear reader: The subject this week is bird breasts.
To be sure, the breast is not the first part to examine when trying to identify a bird. The general impression of the bird is the first thing to notice: its size, shape, length, the size of its bill, the length of its tail, its way of sitting, its pattern of flight.
Then check the details. To be sure, the breast may be one of these.
This is the case with the rose-breasted grosbeak, as is demonstrated in its name. The brilliant color of the male grosbeak's breast will clinch its identification against any other species. It's a definitive field mark, in other words.
But it's not really necessary to see the breast to know the rose-breasted grosbeak. The species is identifiable in other ways, and at first sight.
The grosbeak is a heavy set bird, and it appears two-toned in color, black and white. The wings show large white patches. The tail is neither long, nor stubby, nor tapered. Its contribution is to the impression of a solid, well-proportioned bird.
The beak, on the other hand, is outsized, another aspect of the bird that's noted in its name. Bird beaks are often important clues not just to the identity of bird species but to their lifestyles. The grosbeak is a seed eater. Its bill is adapted to crushing, the better to get to the tasty and nutritious hearts of such foods as sunflower seed.
This brings rose-breasted grosbeaks into our backyards. They are frequent visitors at feeders, and they can be quite conspicuous at this time of year.
Of course, we are discussing male grosbeaks here. Females are much plainer, being streaked with brown and white the better to wait unnoticed on the nest. Females are identifiable, though, because they share the general impression of the grosbeak: a solid, well-proportioned bird with a big bill.
