You may see large numbers of uncommon visitors at your feeder this winter. Poor seed crops in the boreal forest this year are forcing arctic and subarctic breeders southward. This type of species movement is called an “irruption.” Among irruptive species this year are Redpolls, small, bouncy finches that travel in large flocks. Their rosy-red caps and yellow bills help them stand out from other streaky brown seed-eaters. Males also sport rosy chests. They can be distinguished from House Finches by their smaller size and the black around their bill, which extends onto the chin (similar to the black face patch on a Northern Cardinal).
Redpolls are largely granivorous and prefer small seeds. Find them in conifers, willows, alders, shrubs, and on the ground foraging in grasses and small weedy plants. It might be easiest to spot them in birches, which are widespread and often grow at the edges of open areas. Watch as they pluck several papery seeds at a time. Many of these seeds will be stored in their esophagus to regurgitate and husk later in a more protected area. At the feeder, they’ll eat nyjer and black oil sunflower seeds.
You may have heard of several species of Redpolls, but recent DNA analysis suggests that they are one species with three subspecies. Common Redpolls are the most likely subspecies to be seen in Maine, but frosty-looking Hoary Redpolls may be mixed into flocks. Listen for a chatty group of birds, making sounds ranging from rattly trills to nasally “che” notes which evoke the chatter of House Sparrows.
This year’s “Winter Finch Forecast” predicts large numbers of Redpolls coming down from Eastern Canada. Other species expected to move into Maine are Red and White-winged Crossbills, Pine and Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, and Red-breasted Nuthatches (which have been seen in abundance since August).
Photo: Nick Lund
Backyard Bird of the Month is a feature by Maine Audubon created for the Maine Home Garden News, the newsletter of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard
