We were amazed to see a flock of common redpolls at our feeders today. They flutter down to the ground from our shrubby border like falling leaves, decorating the snowy ground with their small, energetic forms. We counted 45 redpolls and plan to enter this sighting in eBird as part of the February Great Backyard Bird Count.
The eBird database is one of the world’s largest nature databases, housing millions of bird observations worldwide and is used for scientific and conservation purposes. Adding our observations to the database is fun, helps us learn more about birds and is a way we can contribute to their conservation. For information about eBird and how to participate in using and contributing to this database, go to https://ebird.org/home.
Although not a frequent visitor, common redpolls, when seen, do grab your attention. For a small finch, they pack a lot of energy. They are in constant motion even when on the ground searching for seeds — a peck here, a hop, a turning of the head, a short jump, a repositioning amongst the flock, a flick of a seed and then off again as they all scatter into the shrubs.
Study them, and their beauty emerges. As a seeming hedge against the cold they sport a red cap or “poll” atop their head. Both sexes have a black chin spot, short yellow beak and brown-and-white streaked back. Their wing feathers are black, edged in white. And the males are quite striking right now, their breasts and sides stained a pale crimson, ready for the breeding season.
We listen for the redpoll’s calls as we watch them flit about. Upon consulting “National Geographic’s Field Guide to the Birds of North America (Fifth Edition),” we learn that when perched they give a swee-ee-eet call and when in flight a dry rattle. From Alan Haney’s book, “Jewels of Nature, Delightful Birds I Have Known,” we find that their range is quite extensive. They breed around the world in the far north’s subarctic, inhabiting regions of tundra scrub and forests.
A common redpoll banded in Michigan was found in Siberia, a testament to their worldly travels. Their winter range includes the northern United States and Canada.
The cold demands adaptations for survival. To make up for heat loss during frigid weather, they must eat up to 42% of their body weight in food daily. That’s a lot of seeds. The birds grow a third more plumage to help them survive winter temperatures that can plummet to minus-65 degrees Fahrenheit in the far north. Another survival strategy mirrors that of the Ruffed Grouse; they can dive into loose snow and burrow a foot or more into a roosting cavity to keep warm, according to Haney.
Also, like other finches, redpolls are mostly seed eaters when spiders and insects are not available, Haney adds. These they find in brushy weedy habitats and in stands of alder and birch that bear seed-laden catkins. They can store food in throat pouches, which gives them the chance to move to a safe place to digest the food or carry it to their nests. In winter, they especially like millet and thistle seeds.
Look for the common redpoll at your feeders. They have come to us on winds from the far north, from the land of the polar bear and possibly as far as from Siberia, making this energetic traveler all the more spectacular.
Cathy Carnes of Oconto is a retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who volunteers with Bird City Oconto.
Common redpolls not common sight but stand out
