The BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK is a common summer breeder throughout wooded California from riparian lowlands to forested mountains. Migrants can be regular away from breeding locales although not usually in large numbers. Wintering individuals are rare but a few do so (often at feeders) annually along the coast, especially in the south.

The only California records are listed below are (1) my personal "state bird" and (2) those with unusual dates or locales. All my other observations are well within normal status & distributional limits. Those preceded by H were vagrants found or co-found by me personally. Within these parameters, these are my personal Black-headed Grosbeak records of interest:

every summer late 1950s/early 1960s    Yosemite NP, MRP
    I was very familiar with this species as a boy before I started any lists
6/14/81     Pacific Grove MTY     singing male at my apt.; quite late for spring migrant on Mty Pen
12/1/84     Carmel Valley MTY     imm male; late migrant or winterer?

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