Evening Grosbeak
(Coccothraustes vespertinus)

Summary

Picture of bird
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The Evening Grosbeak is a common, widespread and conspicuous inhabitant of Canada's coniferous and mixed forests. Results from the Breeding Bird Survey indicate that populations have decreased significantly since about 1970. Reasons for the population declines have not been well studied but are thought to have multiple causes (Bonter and Harvey 2008). The Evening Grosbeak is scheduled for assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Listing of the main designations for the species
DesignationStatusDateSubspecies, population
IUCN (Global)Least Concern2012 
Wild Species (Canada)Secure2010 
Bird Conservation Region StrategyPriority Species2013 

Population status

Geographic areaStatusReliability
CanadaLarge DecreaseHigh
 

Population estimate

Canada500,000 to 5,000,000 adults
 

Distribution maps

 

Migration strategy, occurrence

Short-distance migrant

Responsibility for conservation of world population

CanadaHigh

Conservation and management

Originally a bird rarely seen east of the Mississippi River, the species now inhabits much of eastern North America. Range expansion was likely due to increased food supply offered by extensive box elder plantings (Gillihan and Byers 2001). Reasons for the recent population decrease are not well understood but probably stem from multiple causes, including large-scale forestry operations that affect age structure, disease and reduced food availability due to fewer forest insect infestations (Bonter and Harvey 2008).

 

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

  • conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
  • stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
  • management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
  • other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

BCRs, marine biogeographic units, and sub-regions in which the species is listed as a priority
RegionSub-region and priority type
Atlantic Northern ForestsAtlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic Region - New Brunswick
Atlantic Northern ForestsAtlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic Region - Nova Scotia
Atlantic Northern ForestsAtlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic Region - Prince Edward Island
Atlantic Northern ForestsAtlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Quebec Region
Boreal Hardwood TransitionBoreal Hardwood Transition, sub-region and priority type: Ontario Region
Boreal Softwood ShieldBoreal Softwood Shield, sub-region and priority type: Ontario Region
Boreal Softwood ShieldBoreal Softwood Shield, sub-region and priority type: Prairie and Northern Region
Boreal Softwood ShieldBoreal Softwood Shield, sub-region and priority type: Quebec Region
Northern RockiesNorthern Rockies, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon Region
 

References