The striking rose-breasted grosbeak is a common bird of wooded habitats across much of eastern and midwestern North America. Singing from the canopy of a deciduous forest, even a brightly colored male can be difficult to locate. Late in the summer and during migration, it often feeds in fruiting trees. Monotypic. Length 8".

Sexually dimorphic. Takes more than a year to acquire adult plumage. Adult male: unique in North America. Its black head, throat, back, wings, and tail contrast with gleaming white underparts and rump. Gets its name from a conspicuous bright rosy pink patch on the breast. Note the white wing bar and patches on black wing, and rose-red wing linings. Large, pinkish bill. Adult female: mainly brown above with