How do grosbeaks overwinter? Key points for winter feeding and management

Grosbeak is a general term for birds of the class Aves, order Passeriformes, family Fringillidae. They feed on seeds and like to move about in small flocks. So how do they overwinter? How are they kept?

1. How do grosbeaks overwinter?

Grosbeaks generally migrate before winter arrives to southern China, and in this way get through the cold winter. For example, the Black-headed Grosbeak breeds in Northeast China (the Changbai Mountains and the Lesser Khingan Mountains) and passes through East China to overwinter in the south; the Hawfinch overwinters in the southeastern coastal provinces, with vagrants reaching Taiwan, China.

2. How are grosbeaks kept?

1. Feeding

Grosbeaks like to eat the seeds of oil crops such as hemp seeds, sunflower seeds and perilla seeds, but under artificial keeping these should not be fed in large amounts. Normally, millet and paddy rice or egg millet are the staple, with a small amount of green vegetables and apple fed every day.

2. Daily management

Wash the cage and the food and water containers once a week to keep the food and water clean. For trained grosbeaks, feed only hemp seeds; after training each day, feed them until full and give them water. After they are full, place the bird in a quiet place, and do not feed it during the rest of the time.

The lifespan of grosbeaks is generally 6-8 years, and their peak period is around 4 years of age. From March to April they begin to live in pairs, and from May to June they nest and breed, laying 3-5 eggs per clutch; the eggs are greenish white with yellow-brown spots. Their calls are melodious and soft, and especially during the breeding season the song is even more pleasant.