The Real “Snowbirds”

By Kate Carnahan, Outdoor Recreation Specialist Individual Placement / AmeriCorps Member placed at Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Trails

With the holidays coming up and many of us flying home to our families and friends to celebrate, some birds have decided to stick around for the season in Minnesota. Although most of our bird species fly south for the winter, birds that eat tree insects or seeds can stay throughout the cold months.

One of these birds that remain is the Dark-eyed Junco, which was traditionally referred to as the “snowbird” of the middle latitudes (Cornell Lab of Ornithology). Among one of the most abundant forest birds in North America, the Dark-eyed Junco can be found hopping around the forest floor foraging in the leaf litter for seeds. Characterized in Minnesota by their dark heads, pale bills, and long white tail feathers, the contrast in their feather colors helps them stand out when bird watching. Keep an eye out for flashes of white “V”s in the trees as this can be seen from a Dark-eyed Junco’s tail feathers in flight (Tekiela).

During summer they are typically found in coniferous forests, but in winter they can be found in woodlands, fields, and parks.

Try scattering millet to attract Dark-eyed Juncos to your bird feeder. However, they will likely be found underneath eating the fallen seed.

Northern Cardinals aren’t the only boldly colored birds you’ll find in the sky this winter! Male House Finches can be found by the rosy red on their head and upper breast. Like other finches they will have the notched tail that adds to their compact and streamlined look, with male and female House Finches both having a streaky brown back, belly, and tail, and a thick bill for collecting seeds. Typically found in central to southern Minnesota year-round, they tend to settle in areas like city parks, residential yards, and forests edges.

To feed their young House Finches will feed nestlings exclusively plant foods, making them lifelong vegetarians (Cornell Lab of Ornithology). This contrasts with many birds that although they are vegetarians as adults, will tend to feed their young protein-rich animal foods.

To attract, try putting out small, black oil sunflower seeds. However, be careful as once House Finches find a food source flocks can overtake your bird feeder.

Seen climbing every which way on a tree, the White-breasted Nuthatch is one of the most agile birds you’ll see this winter. In fact, White-breasted Nuthatches are the only bird species that is routinely able to move in any direction on a tree, which you can see in this picture. As they climb upside down on a tree trunk, their backwards facing toe helps nuthatches cling to the tree while facing the ground. This behavior makes them exceptionally easy to identify. You can tell them apart from other climbing birds such as woodpeckers, who are only able to go up on vertical surfaces due to them having to lean on their tail to climb, by watching if they are able to go down the tree head-first. If so, it’s a nuthatch!

Named after their long, sharp bill used to “hatch” seeds from the inside (Tekiela), they also have several other key features that can be used to identify them when in woodlands.

White-breasted Nuthatches have a gray-blue back that extends to a black/grey cap on their head, giving a hoodlike appearance which is in stark contrast to their white face and belly. They also lack an obvious neck that adds to the overall compact size.

To attract them, try using large nuts like sunflower and peanuts.

While everything seems to be either flying away or closing for the season, some feathery friends remain if you look and listen close enough. To attract these winter species to your home, try providing a bird bath with a heater or bubbler to prevent ice forming, feeding opportunities, and planting shrubs or trees that retain their leaves in the winter for sheltering options (Cornell Lab of Ornithology). If you want a recommendations to see specific birds at your feeders in these upcoming months, refer to the MN DNR’s page on winter bird feeding: Winter bird feeding tips | Minnesota DNR.

Sources:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Online Bird Guide. All About Birds. www.allaboutbirds.org/news/

iNaturalist. (n.d.). www.inaturalist.org/

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. (2021, December 29). Winter Bird Feeding Tips. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. www.dnr.state.mn.us/birdfeeding/winter.html

Tekiela, S. (2019). Birds of Minnesota Field Guide (3rd ed.). Adventure Publications.