After going through the replies, it seems most more experience birders are leaning towards immature male for the Yellow Grosbeak. I wanted to share what new info I learned. Eric D alerted me to Birds of the World through Ebird/Cornell. I'm not sure how I missed the existence of this but I did. I guess you don't know what you don't know. There is a subscription fee for access to this. I did the $49 yearly subscription. (I gain nothing from this other than a better understanding of birds). What I learned and what others pointed me to was that it takes two years for a male Yellow Grosbeak to reach adult plumage. In the mean-time an immature male would look very similar to a female. There is a conspicuous white patch or "flash" at the base of the primaries. The Rye bird definitely has this patch and it is evident in most of the photos I've seen mine or otherwise. Females do have some white to the base of the primaries but is not nearly as extensive. The brightness of the head and neck regardless of the striping that you could see in the one pic I referenced is also telling. The females have a generally dingier yellow coloration and that immature males share this does not automatically make the bird female. I think we can all agree that this bird is very bright even with a little striping. So there you have it. Looks like an immature male rather than female.
Thanks for all the replies! Cool to learn so much about a such an interesting bird.
Josh Bruening
Fort Collins
On Saturday, May 29, 2021 at 6:50:15 PM UTC-6 Josh Bruening wrote:
All,Since it has been amazingly quiet post-wise with regard to the Yellow Grosbeak, I thought I'd share my two-cents. This bird is awesome. I've been kicking myself ever since I was unable to chase the Golden-crowned Warbler a few years back and silently vowed that I'd get in the car whenever the next big rarity showed up. I made that happen today. I was so amped to see this bird that I slept fitfully and ended up leaving Fort Collins at 315am. After a quick stop at Chico Basin to kill some time I arrived right at 9am sharp to find I was birder #45? Seriously, there were 40-50 of us. I almost felt nervous for the bird. After a hour of patiently waiting it showed. And the bird did not disappoint. Gorgeous!! After the immediate din of all of our cameras relented, the bird settled in and comfortably hung out on the sunflower feeder for upwards of 10 minutes.The homeowner is most gracious and certainly shared in all of our excitement. So big thanks to Gib and family. Also, shout out to Brandon P for keeping us all informed on when and how to see this bird. Let's all respect the opportunity and keep the good vibes goin'.I wanted to add that my feeling on this bird is that it is a female. I added my ebird checklist below with photos. I got a good shot of the head and neck while the bird was on the feeder. The striping is evident. Also, I think the mantle and scap feathers in another pic deviate from what they would look like on a male. The male seems to me to be have super clean yellow on the head, nape and all the way through the mantle to the wing coverts. I could find no pics of an immature male to make me think otherwise. So this is my very unsolicited, first time I've ever seen this bird, amateur opinion. I'd love any feedback if anyone has it on this.Nice to see some familiar faces, put some faces with names, and meet some new birders out there!Bird is the word!Josh BrueningFort Collins
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