The ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK is a regular spring & fall vagrant to California. A few spend the winter in California (often at feeders) when it is actually as common along the coast in winter as Black-headed Grosbeak (although both are rare in that season). A handful summer annually, often in the interior, and are seemingly becoming more common.

The photographed bird was of special interest to me because I was unaware that Rose-breasts that looked like this could occur in August, and had considered the possibility of a hybrid (with Black-headed). A typical male Rose-breasted had summered in this yard for two years. I sent photos of this individual to Dr. L.C. Binford and Dr. Ken Parkes, both of whom confirmed (in litt.) that the bird is simply an "adult" [>1 year old] Rose-breasted in basic plumage. The extensive white in the tail and the black-and-white wing coverts rule out a youngster. Thus this summering male in Monterey County molted into basic plumage by early August. It is possible that some "young male" Rose-breasts reported in fall are actually basic-plumaged adult males.

All of my California records are listed below. Those preceded by H were found or co-found by me personally; those preceded by K receive some partial credit (e.g., I was involved in sorting out i.d. of a previously discovered bird or refound a vagrant that had been thought to have left). My notes in the 1970s do not always sort out credit issues so it is possible additional birds might have been "self-found." As with many eastern vagrants, many more were seen during active rarity chasing throughout the state in younger days, and a higher percentage of records are from my local county (MTY) in recent years.

My personal Rose-breasted Grosbeak records:

6/1/74     Deep Springs INY     male
5/17/75     Clark Mt. SBE     1st summ male
5/26/75     Deep Springs INY     male
5/22-23/76     Deep Springs INY     male
5/24/76     Oasis MNO     2 males
5/31/76         Tollhouse Springs    male
6/3/76     Santa Barbara I. SBA     male
10/31/76     Furnace Creek INY     imm male
11/28/76     Scottys Castle INY     imm male; caught by a Roadrunner!
5/20/77     Kelso SBE     male
5/22-24/77     Deep Springs INY     male
5/27-31/77     Oasis MNO     female
H 6/11/77    Oasis MNO    female
6/13/77     Pt. Loma SD     female
H 6/18-26/77     SE Farallon I. SF     total of 4: 2 males, 2 females
5/25/78     Furnace Creek INY     male
5/28/78     Oasis MNO     male out in sagebrush
H 5/28/79     Ft. Piute SBE     singing male
5/30/79     Oasis MNO     2: singing male & female
5/22/81     Mesquite Springs INY     female
5/22/81     Oasis MNO     female
6/22/82     Pt. Reyes MRN     3: males Fish Docks (singing) & New Willows, fem at Lighthouse
12/18/83    Santa Cruz SCZ    female
1/12/84     Carmel MTY     imm male at Eleanor Mitchell’s feeder; color sketch & details in my notes
5/26/84     Oasis MNO     2 males
5/28/84     Deep Springs INY     male
5/27/85     Oasis MNO     male
12/31/86     Pebble Beach MTY     imm male at Eliz. Ingles’ feeder
7/29/91     Del Rey Oaks MTY     ad. male at Citron’s feeder
8/3&4/92     Del Rey Oaks MTY     ad. male in basic pl.; photos
5/29/96     Big Sur R. mouth MTY     female banded & released at BSOL; photo
11/6/96     Carmel R. mouth MTY     imm male; details in my notes
H 5/16/97     Big Sur R. mouth MTY      female in Cooper eucalyptus; details in my notes
H 9/14/97     Big Sur R. mouth MTY      female at pumphouse; details in my notes
H 9/23/00     near Pt. Sur MTY     imm male in “hidden hollow”; details in my notes

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