Pheuticus melanocosephalus, Black-headed Grosbeak



Image Source - http://www.herpindiego.com
Status: A common summer resident throughout the state where it occurs from late April to September. It lives primarily in deciduous woodlands of the mountains and streamsides of the valleys. It adapts rather well to human populations and is frequently found in ornamental trees of towns and parks.

Records: McCarthy, a collector of Simpson's expedition, took specimens in Skull and Rush valleys, Tooele County, about 1859. Ridgway took specimens near Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County in 1869. Henshaw in 1872 regarded it as common in utah, but found it particularly numerous at Provo, Utah County, where he collected 11 specimens. Fisher reported that Merriam found it plentiful along Santa Clara River, Washington County, in May 1891. In more recent times there have been numerous observations and collections from all the counties of the state.

Hayward, C., Cottam, C., Woodbury, A., Frost, A. Birds of Utah, Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs, Number 1, Page 169 Brigham Young University, 1976.