<< Previous Next >>

Pine Grosbeak


Pine Grosbeak
Photo Information
Copyright: Mario Belanger (EOSF1) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1330 W: 107 N: 4804] (21334)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-02-20
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 40D, Canon EF 100-400 F4-5.6 L IS USM, ISO 200, B+W 77 010 UV-Haze 1 x
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/250 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-07-09 19:05
Viewed: 450
Points: 52
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [French]
From the archives, a female Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator 20-25cm) shot last winter.

From: www.birds.cornell.edu
One of the larger members of its family, the Pine Grosbeak is a bird of the boreal forests, found across northern Eurasia and North America, and south into the mountains of western Canada and the United States. A large, unwary finch, it makes periodic winter irruptions into southern Canada and northern United States. It is the largest and rarest of the "winter finches."
Cool Facts
The tameness and slow-moving behavior of the Pine Grosbeak gave rise to local name in Newfoundland of "mope."
Winter flocks may stay near a tree with abundant fruit until all of it is consumed.
Winter irruptions are infrequent and irregular. To see an illustration of the invasion of the winter 1997-98, based on data gathered through BirdSource's Winter Finch Survey, click here.
A breeding adult Pine Grosbeak develops pouches in the floor of its mouth for carrying food to its young.
During most of the year, 99% of diet is vegetable matter, especially buds, seeds, and fruits of spruce, pine, juniper, elm, maple, mountain ash, apple, and crabapple. It feeds insects and spiders to its young, though, often mixed with plant foods. It drinks water or eats snow daily.
Description
topSize: 20-25 cm (8-10 in)
Wingspan: 33 cm (13 in)
Large finch; medium-sized songbird.
Plump, heavy-chested.
Dark wings with two white wingbars.
Large stubby curved bill.
Male red.
Blackish-brown tail and wings.
Tail long and slightly forked.
Eyes black.
Bill dark.
Legs dark.
Sex Differences
Sexually dimorphic: Male with rosy-red head, chest and back, rest gray; females with yellow-olive where male has red.
Male
Pinkish-red head, breast, back and rump. Streaked back. White undertail coverts. Blackish brown wings and tail. White wingbars and tertial edges.
Female
Yellowish olive head and rump. Gray underparts and back. Blackish brown wings and tail. White wingbars and tertial edges.
Immature
Immature male usually is indistinguishable from immature or adult female until the second year when it molts and grows new reddish feathers. Some young males have some red or orange feathers in the body plumage, which females apparently lack. Females average duller than males (especially on the crown and rump) and have a lighter russet tinge to the head or lighter olive tinge to the breast than males. The color of the head and body is often golden orange or reddish bronze in males, in contrast to golden yellow of the female, and the chin is often buffier or more brown-gray than in the female.
Sound
Song is a sequence of clear, warbling, flute-like notes. Flight calls vary geographically, but can sound like "tee-tee-tew," resembling calls of Greater Yellowlegs.
Range
Breeds in subarctic and subalpine coniferous forests of North America and Eurasia.
Winter Range
Winters mainly in breeding range, but may go farther south irregularly to southern Canada and northern United States.
Habitat
Breeds in open coniferous forests.
Wintering areas determined by food availability, so found in wider variety of habitats, including urban areas.
Found in flocks in winter; strongly territorial in breeding season. Distinctive call note often given in flight.
Conservation Status
Status largely unknown because of difficulty of assessing populations.
Other Names
Durbec des sapins (French)
Camachuelo picogrueso (Spanish)
vanderschelden, jaycee, CeltickRanger, Jamesp, albert, siggi, goldyrs, SelenE, MMM, nglen, uleko, Miss_Piggy, maurydv, parthasarathi, pierrefonds has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To nglen: Thanks Nicholas!EOSF1 1 07-14 09:20
To blue_river: Thanks !EOSF1 1 07-13 08:04
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1786 W: 8 N: 4638] (14987)
  • [2008-07-09 19:15]

Hi Mario,

A very beautiful portrait of this Pine Grosbeak. He looks puffy from the cold - hard to remember the chilly winter with all the heat we're having. Pose is wonderful, colors are beautiful, details of face, plummage and wings are superb. As always, a wonderful composition.

Jane

A very clear, nice shot. Good colours and sharpness.
thanks
Pierre

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1252 W: 0 N: 4842] (14380)
  • [2008-07-09 23:35]

Hi Mario


Great pose with lovely fine detail. Well seen and captured.

James

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 524 W: 87 N: 693] (5739)
  • [2008-07-10 2:07]

salut Mario,
superbe image encore une fois, le perchoir est parfaitement exploité. Splendide netteté et redondance de couleur brune.

gl

  • Great 
  • jesst Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 361 W: 0 N: 164] (2198)
  • [2008-07-10 4:08]

Interesting picture, wonderful colors and detail, tfs

Bonjour Mario,
Très belle capture et superbe pose de ce Durbec des sapins
Bravo
Bien cordialement
Albert

Bonjour Mario,
Elle est superbe cette femelle que j'associe à l'hiver! Les détails, la pose, les couleurs, tout est parfait comme d'habitude!
Claudine

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 286 W: 3 N: 779] (2796)
  • [2008-07-10 5:38]

Hello Mario
What a lovely capture! I love the colors and it has wonderful sharpness, DOF and beautiful composition.
My compliments and TFS.
Siggi

salut Mario

très belle image du Durbec des sapins, avec un excellent POV, DOF
et cadrage, belle pose de l'oiseau, excellente luminosité de l'image,
excellente netteté et détails du plumage, très joli catch-light à l'oeil
qui transforme complètement l'image, TFS

Asbed

This is a lovely shot, it is so sharp and clear! Did you use a flash while taking this shot? Because when I take shots with my flash on during the day they never work out too good, if you did then you've managed to do a great job of it!
TFS

TK

A lovely shot, mario!Very sharp, beautiful pose, lovely atmosphere and perfectly framed!
Cheers!
goldy

Hi Mario
Wonderful shot with fine delicate detail and lovely catchlite in eye
tfs jon

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2349 W: 61 N: 3802] (12200)
  • [2008-07-10 7:05]

Hi Mario,
Beautiful photo of this cute fellow. Clarity, lighting, details, focus, sharpness, pose, POV, composition and eye contact are great.
TFS
Greetings,
Selen

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 755 W: 0 N: 1515] (6928)
  • [2008-07-10 7:39]

Salut Mario
Bon retour .Belle image.Bon PDV et image bien en focus avec de bon détail.J'aime bien la pause du sujet.
Merci »Michel

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1692 W: 242 N: 5589] (19849)
  • [2008-07-10 13:53]

Hello Mario!
Very good photo of this Pine Grosbeak.
Excellent detail in the feathers and brilliant clarity.
Great light from your flash.
Brilliant BG.

Well done,
Joe

Hi Mario.
We are just getting nice summer weather, and you want to remind me of winter? haha.
I like the POV you chose and the kind of minimalist composition. One branch gives the image a direct focus on the subject.
TFS
Doug

Hi Mario, lovely bird with fantastic colors, fine details and splendid sharpness, wonderful BG, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2466 W: 168 N: 7458] (23564)
  • [2008-07-11 1:00]

Hello Mario,
What a fine capture of this puffed up Pine Grosbeak in a nice pose. The colours of bird and background are wonderful and details very sharp. A lovely composition!
TFS and regards, Ulla

Hello Mario,
Fantastic photo in beautiful natural and clear colours and sharp details. It looks very cold. Great POV and composition. Beautiful BG.
Regards,
Peter

Hallo Mario
A real jewel indeed. A beauty. This is just a stunning capture with all technical aspects being perfect. A real elegant bird captured in a solid pose and serious glance. Very nice lighting and perfect rich colours of the bird. I especially like the coloured stripes in between the feathers. Close-up work is well done and real sharp. Thanks for sharing and have a most enjoyable day.
Anna

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1991 W: 5 N: 5557] (20998)
  • [2008-07-11 9:55]
  • [+]

Hi Mario. We dont see to much of you at the moment hope you are ok my friend. This is a fine close up of the beautiful bird , which you have captured with fine detail and natural colours. With a fine pose against the BG. well done TFS.
Nick..

Uno dei tuoi tanti soggetti preferiti in un'altra meravigliosa immagine, eccellenti POV, DOF e composizione con una fantastica posa su di un bellissimo BG, straordinaria definizione delo piumaggio, splendidi i colori. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

I always enjoy the photographs of the birds clicked by you. Lovely.

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1714 W: 24 N: 4988] (16346)
  • [2008-07-15 6:39]

Hi Mario,
Outstanding shot of this cute little Pine Grosbeak with such wonderful colours and details on its plumage. Immaculate sharpness and a fabulous pose captured here with superb lighting and exposure levels. The BG looks too good. Excellent DOF, POV and composition. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

Hello Mario,
Well done!
Awesome image with a great OOF BG, nice colorsn excellent POV and DOF. Especially the perch is extraordinary...
TFS
Annick

Bonjour Mario,

Une belle image rapprochée de ce Durbec des sapins sur la branche qui a gonflé ses plumes pour se protéger du froid; il semble observer les alentours. La prise de vue permet de distinguer avec précision les détails et les couleurs du plumage de l'oiseau. Le sujet est bien cadré. La qualité de la lumière rehausse les couleurs. Bonne journée.

Pierre

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF