looduskalender.ee

The pine grosbeak is a big bird. Particularly when it lands on a twig where a tiny redpoll is expected.

 

 

From early November this year passing migrant grosbeaks have been seen in all Estonia. In what might be called „good years“ up to about a thousand birds have wintered here but bird friends meet pine grosbeaks in ordinary years too although their number seems to be declining.

 

The inhabitants of the taiga are beautiful, colourful, and confident with humans. The plumage of the male is reddish-pink, of the female greyish-olive. The juveniles of this summer are coloured as the females, but with a duller look. The pine grosbeaks are about the size of starlings, with a large, dark and curved beak. In flight we notice the long tail and the wings with characteristic white bands. The flight is fast and undulating.

 

They go about their business very placidly in trees and shrubs; on the ground they move by jumps but visibly awkwardly. As the name says they feed on pine cones picking seeds from them, from berries left on the trees, frozen fruit, spruce buds in mid-winter. Thus we can meet them in different tree stands in city parks or cemeteries too.

 

Pine grosbeaks certainly will not go unnoticed, but one needs a little luck to meet them.

 

Image of female from Wikipedia.