Grosbeaks

a group of birds of the family Fringillidae of the order Passeriformes. Body length, 18-23 cm. It is characterized by a massive bill, adapted for breaking hard seeds and pits of fruits (such as cherries and cherry plums). There are nine species of four genera. In the USSR there are four species; the best known is the hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes), which lives in the forests and gardens of the middle and southern regions of the USSR. Grosbeaks migrate from northern regions during the winter. They nest in trees; their clutch contains four to seven eggs. Feeding first on insects, the fledglings later switch to seeds. The Grosbeak can cause damage to gardens. The juniper grosbeak (Mycerobas carnipes) lives in the mountains of Middle Asia and feeds on juniper seeds. In the deciduous forests of the Far East, there are two species of the genus Eophana. Three species of the genus Mycerobas inhabit the Himalayas, and one species of the genus Hesperiphona is found in North America.