The Evening Grosbeak is a notable traveler from the far northwest whose
rare, irregular, and unheralded visits and striking appearance make him
always a welcome and distinguished guest. Of recent years these birds
have come to the east with greater frequency, arriving in November and
remaining as late as May. They feed largely on the buds and seeds of
trees--maple and box-elder--and can often be attracted to our
feeding-stations by the offer of sunflower seeds. They are usually
associated in flocks of from six to eight to ten birds, and their notes
when perching, have been described as resembling the jingle of small
sleigh-bells, while their song is said to be a "wandering jerky warble."