In the fall of 2006, we reported in Winter Bird Highlights that Evening Grosbeak populations had declined dramatically over the history of the project. Although we hear from a few participants each year who see these bright winter finches for the first time, we more frequently hear participants ask where the Evening Grosbeaks have gone. In the 2007 Winter Bird Highlights, we reported comments we had received from a few of our 20-year participants lamenting the recent lack of Evening Grosbeaks and recalling that the species was abundant when they started FeederWatching.

Although we do not expect to come close to the numbers of 20 years ago, this season may bring Evening Grosbeaks to more feeders than in a very long time.

In October we began hearing reports of Evening Grosbeaks at the homes of people who had never seen them before, and the reports continued as the FeederWatch season began. For example, Charlotte Goldsmith of Liberty, Pennsylvania, reported, “On Sunday, November 18th, I had an Evening Grosbeak at my feeder for the first time in over 20 years.”

It is too early to draw any valid conclusions, but at this point in the season a higher percentage of participants in the northeast are reporting grosbeaks than last year. For example, 15% of sites reported Evening Grosbeaks in New Hampshire for the first month of this season, and for the same period last season, only 1% or less reported these grosbeaks. Similarly at least 10% of sites in Vermont reported grosbeaks over the same period this year compared to no sites last year. Ontario and Quebec also have seen increases.

New participant Paul Turner of Summit, New York, remembered feeding hundreds of Evening Grosbeaks in the 1980s when he lived in Saranac Lake, New York. Then he moved to Summit and had only seen small flocks of 6 to 10 pass through in the fall. That was until this year.

Learn more about the Evening Grosbeak and see a map showing the normal range of this irruptive finch.