Black-headed grosbeak shows up for first time in Mecklenburg County
Just a month or so after a very rare Bullock’s oriole was enjoyed by dozens of birders from North and South Carolina, an even rarer bird showed up at a feeder in a neighborhood near Park Road Park. A male black-headed grosbeak in nice plumage established the first record of that species from Mecklenburg County on March 10.
The birding community did not get word of the bird’s presence until late in the day on Sunday, March 11, when the host posted a photo on a state birding Facebook page. I was able to reach out to the host and obtain permission to come by the next day to see if it was still coming to the backyard black oil sunflower feeder.
Thankfully the host left the backyard screen porch open for me. The weather that day was a steady cold rain with temperatures dropping rapidly to almost the freezing mark. But I was right there at first light, filled with nervous anticipation. Rare bird stakeouts are stressful for birders, especially for those who travel long distances for the chance to see the rarity. Birds are movers, and there is never any guarantee the bird will stick around or cooperate. However with the weather being so unsettled, I was confident the grosbeak would not leave the area. But would it show?
After a full hour of watching Carolina chickadees, house finches, brown-headed nuthatches and other feeder birds characteristic of the Carolinas, I saw the target bird swoop in a flash of orange-buff and white wing patches. It didn’t stay long, but a brief look was all I needed to add black-headed grosbeak to my Mecklenburg County list. After I put out the word the bird was still present, dozens of birders were able to do the same. For many of them, this was a bird to add to their North Carolina List and Life List.
Black-headed grosbeak has been recorded in North Carolina about 12 times previously, almost always at fall and winter feeders. It is the western counterpart of our rose-breasted grosbeak, a species that will begin appearing at area feeders in a less than a month. The males are quite different in plumage, but the females are very similar to each other. Looking at photos of both, it is easy to see the close relationship.
It has been a good winter locally for rarities. I’m hoping the trend will continue through the spring.
Taylor Piephoff is a naturalist with an interest in the birds and wildlife of the southern Piedmont: PiephoffT@aol.com.
This story was originally published March 21, 2018 at 12:08 AM with the headline "Black-headed grosbeak shows up for first time in Mecklenburg County."