Rose-Breasted Grosbeak  Pheucticus ludovicianus
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak  Pheucticus ludovicianus

Peterson describes this bird’s song as resembling that of a robin that has taken voice lessons.  It is usually out of sight high in the leafy treetops where it forages for half of its annual diet of insects.  It feeds on seeds and berries including the seeds of elms, also buds and flowers, and is a common visitor to bird feeders consuming sunflower seeds.
It favors deciduous woods with edges and openings rather than unbroken forests where it nests 5 to 20 ft high in large shrubs and trees.  The nest may be so flimsy that you can see the eggs from underneath it. 
It is truly one of the most anticipated arrivals at my feeders in Northern Ohio in spring and summer.

Copyright Mark Tiefenbach
Deepbrook Nature Photography