Pine Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeak has surged: up 320% on the route-weighted index since 1972.
About the Pine Grosbeak
The Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) is a North American member of the Finches (Fringillidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–6.5 in long (11–16 cm) — a small songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 227 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 15 states, most concentrated in the Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau.
- Family
- Fringillidae · Forest birds
Notable Pine Grosbeak Trends
No notable trend signals for Pine Grosbeak. See the full index history below.
Pine Grosbeak Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Pine Grosbeak is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.05 (95% range 0.03–0.07). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±56.7%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.07 |
| 2026 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.07 |
| 2027 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.07 |
| 2028 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.07 |
| 2029 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.07 |
Where the Pine Grosbeak Is Detected
BBS routes recording Pine Grosbeak, sized by most recent count.
Pine Grosbeak Population Trend by State
| Alaska | -61% | 1978 | 80 |
| Arizona | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| California | -35% | 1981 | 6 |
| Colorado | +26% | 1983 | 47 |
| Idaho | -70% | 1987 | 10 |
| Maine | insufficient data | n/a | 11 |
| Minnesota | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Montana | -34% | 1983 | 19 |
| Nevada | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| New Mexico | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Oregon | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Utah | -77% | 1987 | 13 |
| Washington | -59% | 1993 | 11 |
| Wisconsin | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Wyoming | -36% | 1979 | 19 |
Pine Grosbeak Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | +18% | 1985 | 8 |
| BCR 4 | -66% | 1978 | 47 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -41% | 1983 | 29 |
| Northern Rockies | -50% | 1974 | 53 |
| Sierra Nevada | -51% | 1984 | 5 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +113% | 1973 | 64 |
Pine Grosbeak Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 320% since 1972.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.