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Conserv. status: SRANK: Widespread (S4)

Number of squares Confirmed Probable Possible Point counts 4 16 131 176 Long-term BBS trends Region Years Trend (conf. interv.) Reliab. Canada 1970 - 2015 -2.69 (-5.06 - -0.812) Low

Characteristics and Range Unique and unmistakable in radiant pink and grey (adult male) or rich ochre and grey (female), the Pine Grosbeak is North America's largest finch, only slightly smaller than the American Robin. It breeds in a band across the Northern Hemisphere's boreal/taiga forests mostly from 48°N to 70°N and disperses a relatively short distance southward, somewhat irruptively. In North America, it breeds in a band across the northern boreal forest and treeline-tundra transition from Alaska to Newfoundland, as well along the southern Alaskan coast and in the Rocky Mountains from British Columbia to Idaho. There are also montane populations as far south as California and Arizona that have limited, seasonal, altitudinal dispersal (Adkisson 1999). Much of the breeding range remains occupied in winter but there are also southward movements to southern Canada and the northernmost conterminous U.S.A.

Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Atlas records strongly mirrored the breeding range estimated in The Birds of Manitoba, extending from the Nunavut border (except the Arctic Plains & Mountains north of the Caribou River) south to 55.8°N (Thompson), but with three southern outliers: near Ponton, the Porcupine Hills, and Aikens Lake. The latter is especially noteworthy, but sporadic breeding in the southern boreal forest in Manitoba has been previously reported (The Birds of Manitoba). Relative abundance and probability of observation both suggest that this species may be most common in the northwestern corner of the province, decreasing slightly in abundance eastward but decreasing markedly towards the southern range limit. This pattern is consistent with observations of sporadic breeding (or at least oversummering) in central Manitoba.

The Pine Grosbeak is a species of open forest types; in Manitoba loosely associated with the treeline-tundra transition, where clusters of trees occur mostly around water, and with other somewhat open, spruce-dominated habitats in the Taiga Shield & Hudson Plains. Occurrences in the Boreal Softwood Shield are likely associated with open forest including that created by human disturbance (pers. obs.).

Trends, Conservation, and Recommendations The distribution of Pine Grosbeak is too northerly to be well surveyed by the BBS and current results suggesting stability have low reliability. CBC data from 1966 to 2006 suggest a decline of 0.8% per year (Downes et al. 2011). Declines have been noted in Scandinavia due to deforestation (Adkisson 1999) and there is some evidence of a similar effect in eastern North America (Bolgiano 2004). Pine Grosbeaks are vulnerable to collisions with vehicles when attracted to roadsides by salt, and with windows when attracted to bird feeders, but the impact of such anthropogenic mortality on population size is poorly understood (Adkisson 1999).

Christian Artuso

Recommended citation: Artuso, C. 2018. Pine Grosbeak in Artuso, C., A. R. Couturier, K. D. De Smet, R. F. Koes, D. Lepage, J. McCracken, R. D. Mooi, and P. Taylor (eds.). The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Manitoba, 2010-2014. Bird Studies Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=PIGR&lang=en [13 Oct 2024]