Rose Breasted Grosbeak Preening

The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) is a large, migratory Grosbeak in the order Passeriformes and the family Cardinalidae. Adult... more

by Morris Finkelstein

Title

Rose Breasted Grosbeak Preening

Artist

Morris Finkelstein

Medium

Photograph

Description

The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) is a large, migratory Grosbeak in the order Passeriformes and the family Cardinalidae. Adult males have a black head, back, tail, and wings, a bright rose-red patch on their chest, and white underparts. Their large beak is pale colored, and their feet and eyes are dark. The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak measures about 8 inches in length and about 1.6 ounces in weight. Their preferred habitat is in open deciduous woods in most of Canada and the Northeastern and North-central United States; the northern birds migrate south to winter in Mexico and Central America. Preferred foods include insects, seeds and berries that are foraged in trees and shrubs, as well as insects caught in flight.

This immature male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak preening while perched on a branch was photographed at the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in St. Louis County, Missouri on 9-23-2021. I used a Nikon D850 camera body and a Nikkor 600mm f/4.0E FL ED VR2 telephoto lens coupled to a Nikon TC1.4x Teleconverter to capture this image. Settings: 1/3200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1250. The Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, was established in 1997 and includes 4318 acres with 6.5 miles of river frontage. It is an important birding area as it is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and is on a major migratory flyway.

I am honored that my photograph was featured in the Fine Art America groups:
USA Photographers Only, 9-30-2021
Midwest America Photography, 10-11-2021
The Outdoor Photographer, 10-13-2021
A Birding Group - Wings, 12-11-2021
Glimpses Of Autumn, 12-12-2021
Your Very Best Photography, 1-22-2024
If The Image Excites You, 1-23-2024

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Uploaded

September 25th, 2021