Red-breasted Grosbeak, watercolor on 300lb watercolor paper. The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a striking medium-sized songbird native to North America. The male is particularly eye-catching, sporting a bold black head, back, and wings contrasted by a bright, triangular rose-red patch on his white breast — the feature that gives the bird its name. His white belly and the white patches on his black wings add further contrast, and in flight, flashes of white and rosy-red on the underwings make him unmistakable. The female, by contrast, is a study in subtlety: streaked brown and white overall, resembling a large sparrow, with a bold white eyebrow stripe and yellowish wash on the breast. Both sexes have the grosbeak's signature feature — a large, pale, conical bill, perfectly adapted for cracking open seeds. Measuring about 7–8 inches in length, these birds are robust and chunky in build, and the males are especially beloved by birdwatchers for their brilliant plumage and rich, melodious song.
