Grosbeaks
Birds of the Month - May 2008
The Evening Grosbeak – A Partial Misnomer
Okay, “Grosbeak” I get...but what’s up with the “Evening” portion of the name?
Well, after a little research, it has become clear that some mistakes are with us forever!
In 1823, Major Joseph Delafield, a U.S. agent stationed along Lake Superior, was one of the earliest European observers of this colorful yellow and black member of the finch family. Upon encountering a flock of Grosbeaks in a dense cedar swamp at sunset, he noted in his journal “…that this bird dwells in such dark retreats, and leaves them at the approach of night.”
Two years later, Delafield’s journal influenced William Cooper, the ornithologist at the Lyceum of Natural History in New York City, to name the new species Fringilla vespertina, roughly meaning “small bird belonging to the evening.”
Delafield’s incomplete description of the Evening Grosbeak’s behavior resulted in a misnomer that has persisted over 175 years.
During winters when these birds invade from the north, any backyard bird feeding enthusiast can tell you just how busy they really are during the daytime. Their grosbeaks (a term derived from two French words meaning “large beak”) enable them to make short work of large quantities of sunflower seeds.
Let’s hope that this year will bring a major irruption of these bright and beautiful birds into our area, and that we all get the chance to watch the “Morning Grosbeak” at work in our yards!