Well, I was resistant at first to call this bird a hybrid, but I think Tim R.
is correct. However, this bird is a young male and some of the unusual
characteristics can be explained by age. You can tell this is a younger bird
due to the white striping still left on the head, the browner coloration to the
flight feathers and the decreased amount of white in the wing patch and coverts.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak characteristics-pinkish bill (not "adult" pink, but
certainly bicolored either)-shape of breast patch-white sides/belly
Mixed grosbeak characteristics-central breast patch is reddish-orange and then
turns orange at the edges.-song?
Black-headed Grosbeak characteristics-orange "bleeds" into the sides of the
neck and also onto the upper tail coverts.
When I heard the bird on June 3rd, it was a grosbeak song that had funky
component to it. It was not a typical Black-headed Grosbeak song and that is
what attracted me to the bird. From my photos, you can see the bird was high
in the tree and did not come down (I didn't try to tape it in).
Photos by myself, Knute Andersson and Lois Miller can be seen
here.https://picasaweb.google.com/113581614565937060167/PistolRiverGrosbeak
Way to pay close attention Tim!
Good birding,Russ NamitzMedford, OR
