Winter Finch Invasion Setting New Records

Winter finches and other irruptive species, like the Red-breasted Nuthatch (far right) are making news this winter. (L-R): Red Crossbill, Marya Mooseman; Common Repoll, Norm Dougan; Pine Siskin, Margaret Gompper; Red-breasted Nuthatch, Linda Lamb

Ithaca, N.Y.-What kind of finch might turn up in your back yard this year? The 2013 invasion (or “irruption”) of finch species that typically spend most of their time farther north in Canada is raising ornithological eyebrows. How big is this movement of birds? Getting reports from citizen bird watchers is the only way to find the answer, so the call is out for more participants in Project FeederWatch, a joint project of Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada.
The 26th season of FeederWatch is underway and lasts through early April. By watching feeders and submitting their observations, FeederWatchers make it possible for scientists to keep track of changing bird populations across the continent. New or returning participants can sign up anytime at www.FeederWatch.org in the U.S. and at www.birdscanada.org/pfw.html in Canada. New participants who sign up during February will finish out the current 2012-13 season and can participate in the 2013-14 season at no extra charge.
“FeederWatch is easy to do, and the information is incredibly valuable in helping us better understand what’s going on in the environment and in the lives of the birds,” says project leader David Bonter. “Observations from the public will also tell us the true extent of this year’s incredible movement of finches.”
So, who’s coming to dinner at feeders this winter? Common Redpolls, for one. This perky finch with the red cap and rosy vest typically drops into the U.S. in years when food is scarce up north-but usually only on one side of the continent, east or west. This year, however, redpolls are being reported across the continent and pushing as far south as North Carolina. There have been more redpolls reported in Colorado so far this year than in any year since Project FeederWatch began in 1989.
In addition to redpolls, from the Great Lakes to the southern U.S., people are seeing Pine Siskins and Red-breasted Nuthatches. Siskins have even been turning up in South Florida. FeederWatchers in the Northeast are hosting more Evening Grosbeaks than in recent years. And keep an eye out for crossbills. Though they are rare visitors, White-winged Crossbills and Red Crossbills are seen more often at feeders between February and April when natural food supplies are depleted.
To learn more about joining Project FeederWatch in the U.S. and to sign up, visit www.FeederWatch.org or call the Cornell Lab toll-free at (866) 989-2473. In return for the $15 fee ($12 for Cornell Lab members), participants receive the FeederWatcher Handbook and Instructions with tips on how to successfully attract birds to your feeders, an identification poster of the most common feeder birds, and a calendar. Participants also receive Winter Bird Highlights, an annual summary of FeederWatch findings, as well as the Cornell Lab’s quarterly newsletter, Living Bird News. FeederWatch in Canada is $35 and includes Bird Studies Canada membership. Learn more and sign up at www.birdscanada.org/pfw.html.