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How to attract winter finches
Birdwatchers from coast to coast should be on the lookout for finches from Canada and Alaska. Birder's World editors can explain why.
Published:
December 16, 2008  A Pine Siskin perches on an icy juniper branch in South Dakota. The finch breeds in northern forests and has been seen from coast-to-coast this winter. To identify the bird, looked for heavy streaking above and below, a pointed bill, and a bit of yellow in the wings and tail.
Photo by Dan Streifel
Hardy, colorful species that ordinarily reside across Canada and as far north as Alaska move south in the winter in search of food when their natural seed and fruit crops diminish.
"The movements, called invasions, don't happen every winter," says Birder's World Editor Chuck Hagner, "but this winter is off to a great start. When northern finches move south, they sure make feeding birds lots of fun."
Birder's World magazine editors are available to comment on attracting these winter visitors. To request an interview, please contact Matt Quandt at 262.798.6484 or mquandt@kalmbach.com.
Birds to watch for right now
White-winged Crossbill
A handsome pinkish red finch named for its curved, crisscrossed bill. It already has been reported in large numbers in the Northeast and Midwest, and it may show up as far south as the Carolinas, Gulf Coast states, and northern Texas.
Red Crossbill
A dull red, erratic wanderer that lives year-round in the western states and in southern Canada. It has not moved south in large numbers yet, but individual birds are turning up in eastern Maryland and western Missouri.
Purple Finch
A raspberry-colored relative of the familiar House Finch. Forecasts that called for the Purple Finch to migrate south because of small overall tree seed crops in Ontario have proved correct: The finch is being found in the Eastern United States and along the West Coast.
Pine Siskin
A goldfinch look-alike that winters in limited areas south of the U.S.-Canada border every year, especially in the western mountains. In some years this bird irrupts to cover much of the continent. This year, it has been found in significant numbers from coast to coast and as far south as the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.
Common Redpoll
A small, streaked finch with a pink breast and a red cap. Last winter, it was found in large numbers in the Northeast and Midwest, and stragglers went as far as Arkansas and New Mexico. So far this winter, it has been reported in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Washington.
Evening Grosbeak
A chunky, yellow finch with black and white wings known as "grocery beaks" for their ravenous appetites at backyard feeders. In winter, it occurs in the Great Lakes and western states and occasionally flies as far as the Gulf Coast. This year it has not moved south in large numbers.
More resources from Birder's World magazine:
Previous release: "Owls use birdhouses, too" (December 2, 2008)Bird identification toolkitBirdwatching basicsBirdersWorld.com pressroom
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