# 4887 - 2014 First-Class Forever Stamp - Songbirds: Evening Grosbeak

The evening grosbeak is one of 10 different birds pictured on the Songbird stamps.

 

The evening grosbeak is a rather round, black-and-yellow songbird in the finch family. It is a nonaggressive, social bird often seen foraging in noisy flocks throughout the year.

 

Like most finches, the evening grosbeak is a skillful seed-cracker, and its winter diet consists mainly of seeds. It lives in the coniferous mountain forests of the western United States and the northern forests of Canada, where such seeds are plentiful.

 

Known as a “nomadic winter migrant,” this grosbeak leaves its nesting area only when necessary to find food. Sometimes, it will simply migrate to lower elevations, but it has been known to winter throughout the northern United States and even as far south as Mexico.

 

During the summer months, the bird will supplement its seed diet with small insects. Its particular favorite is spruce budworm larvae, a serious pest in North American seed-bearing forests. A budworm outbreak can often be predicted by the increased number of evening grosbeaks.

 

Ironically, the evening grosbeak does not have much of a “song” for a songbird. It projects sweet yet simple chirps, calls, and warbles, but unlike other songbird species, the evening grosbeak offers no distinct recognizable song.

 

Illustrator Robert Giusti painted the evening grosbeak and other songbirds in this set perched on a branch or fence post. His artwork can be seen on other stamps including: Tufted Puffins (#4737), Birds of Prey (4608-12), and a Cardinal (2480).

49¢ Evening Grosbeak, issued to satisfy the first-class mail rate.

Issue Date: April 5, 2014
City: Dallas TX, at the Trinity River Audubon Center
Quantity: 40,000,000

Category: Commemorative
Printed By: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Lithographed
Perforations: Serpentine Die Cut 10 ¾
Self-adhesive