What types of birds over-winter where you live?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the types of birds that over-winter in various locations, with participants sharing their observations and experiences related to birdwatching during the winter months. The scope includes personal anecdotes, species identification, and the impact of winter conditions on bird presence.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes the presence of chickadees, nuthatches, redpolls, woodpeckers, and bluejays at their feeders, suggesting these are common winter birds in their area.
  • Another participant mentions seeing pigeons, while others add doves, cardinals, and juncos to the list of winter birds.
  • A participant shares their experience in western Kentucky, highlighting the abundance of cardinals and the impressive but less aesthetically pleasing sight of blackbirds and starlings.
  • Canada geese are mentioned by multiple participants, with comments on their beauty from the air contrasted with the mess they create on the ground.
  • One participant describes a brightly colored redpoll that they initially mistook for a purple finch, indicating the variability in bird coloration.
  • White-winged doves are noted as being numerous in summer but more manageable in winter, according to one participant's observations.
  • Another participant shares a surprise encounter with eastern bluebirds and lists various woodpecker species, including red-bellied, downy, and hairy woodpeckers.
  • One participant comments on the feeding habits of chickadees during inclement weather, noting a lack of redpolls at the feeders despite the cold conditions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share similar observations about the types of birds present in winter, but there are variations in species mentioned and personal experiences. No consensus is reached on the overall abundance or behavior of specific species.

Contextual Notes

Participants' observations may depend on local environmental conditions, feeder types, and individual birdwatching experiences, which could influence the diversity and number of birds seen.

Who May Find This Useful

Birdwatching enthusiasts, ornithologists, and individuals interested in local wildlife and seasonal changes in bird populations may find this discussion informative.

turbo
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I have 3 different bird-feeders in front of my office window (thistle seed, suet, sunflower seed) so I get to watch a lot of different birds. Chickadees are plentiful, and the red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches tend to flock with them. Our winter finches are redpolls, and they are well-represented. Then of course there are the downy and hairy woodpeckers and the bluejays. That's about it.

The slate juncos stayed late this year, but since the nights have gotten so cold, they have been MIA. Perhaps they moved down Astronuc's way to avoid the bitter cold.

This line-up is probably what we will have for the rest of the winter until things start warming up again. What birds do you have?
 
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Pigeons
 
Doves, cardinals and junkos.
 
When I was doing consulting work for a mill in western KY in winter, I was pleasantly surprised to see all the cardinals. Of course, the blackbirds/starlings blackened the sky - impressive, but not that pretty.
 
nsaspook said:
Canada geese, pretty from the air but they really make a mess on the ground.
No kidding. When I was working for General Physics, I occasionally made winter visits to the home office in Columbia, MD. There was a pond near the office, and the Canada geese had the lawns so fouled up that you wouldn't dare to try to walk down there - and heaven help you if you fell down!
 
Got a new individual today. His breast is so brightly colored that I had to put on my glasses and get a better look to make sure it wasn't a purple finch. Nope. Just a redpoll, but a bright one. If I had seen him initially with other redpolls or maybe chickadees, I would have known he wasn't a purple finch (a bit too small).
 
White winged doves are the ones that I notice. In summer, there are so many that people consider them pests. In winter, there are only a bearable number in my yard.
 
  • #10
turbo said:
I have 3 different bird-feeders in front of my office window (thistle seed, suet, sunflower seed) so I get to watch a lot of different birds. Chickadees are plentiful, and the red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches tend to flock with them. Our winter finches are redpolls, and they are well-represented. Then of course there are the downy and hairy woodpeckers and the bluejays. That's about it.

The slate juncos stayed late this year, but since the nights have gotten so cold, they have been MIA. Perhaps they moved down Astronuc's way to avoid the bitter cold.

This line-up is probably what we will have for the rest of the winter until things start warming up again. What birds do you have?
We have the same birds. Juncos are here.

We have geese and various gulls, various hawks and owls.

The other day, we had several pairs of eastern bluebirds in the backyard, which was a surprise.

And we have various woodpeckers: Redbelly, downy and hairy.
 
  • #11
Those little pigs have eaten 1/2 gallon of black-oil sunflower seeds since noon. We have freezing rain and drizzle, and there hasn't been a single redpoll at the feeders all day, so it's all chickadees eating those seeds.
 

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