Imagine a songbird as hardy as a polar bear but as tiny as a pine siskin. The common redpoll is that bird. A member of the finch family, this tough little creature thrives in the harshest and coldest environments.
The farther south you are, the less likely you are to see a redpoll. Even in the north, they move in unpredictable ways within their range, following food sources. A flock might clean out a feeder in a day during some winters…or it might not show up at all.
“Common redpolls stay in the northern latitudes if food is readily available,” explains Emma Greig, a program leader for Project Feederwatch, which is organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “They’re fun to watch because they constantly sort out dominance.”
This story is from the October/November 2019 edition of Birds & Blooms.
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This story is from the October/November 2019 edition of Birds & Blooms.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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