BirdWire Feature: Winter Finches Invade Backyard Feeders
Fall and winter are traditionally the hardest time on birds and your food source may provide much needed boost to get through the frosty days and nights.
If you live in the mid- to northern regions of the continent, chances are you will be pleasantly surprised by a group of birds called the "winter finches," which include the pine siskin, evening grosbeak, and purple finch. (You can also throw red-breasted nuthatch into the mix.
Though it is not a finch, it typically shows the same patterns). These species typically winter in the northern boreal forest of Canada, but every few years their food supply (forest seed cone crops) suffers a dramatic decline and forces the birds to travel widely in search of abundant supplies.
So examine those goldfinches, house finches, and nuthatches closely. You just might be pleasantly surprised to increase your yard list!
Illustrations by Julie Zickefoose
