NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), colloquially called "cut-throat" due to its coloration, is a large, seed-eating grosbeak in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). It is primarily a foliage gleaner. Males have black heads, wings, backs, and tails, and a bright rose colored patch on their white breast. Males and females exhibit marked sexual dimorphism.
Breeding habitat consists of cool-temperate open deciduous woods throughout much of eastern North America, with migration to tropical America in winter. Rose-breasted grosbeaks have an average maximum lifespan of 7.3 years in the wild, and up to 24 years in captivity. Death in the wild is generally due to collision with objects (buildings, cars, etc.) and predation, to eggs, nestlings and adults.
Wikipedia contributors, Rose-breasted grosbeak; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:54:45.194521+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Pheucticus ludovicianus (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Name authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Common name
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cardinalidae
- Genus
- Pheucticus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyCardinalidae
- genusPheucticus Reichenbach, 1850
- speciesPheucticus ludovicianus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Pheucticus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Golden GrosbeakPheucticus chrysogaster (Lesson, 1832) | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-backed GrosbeakPheucticus aureoventris (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837) | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mexican Yellow GrosbeakPheucticus chrysopeplus (Vigors, 1832) | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-headed GrosbeakPheucticus melanocephalus (Swainson, 1827) | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-thighed GrosbeakPheucticus tibialis Lawrence, 1867 | CardinalidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Middle America
North America
South America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=179139 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4G3K3. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.