Every winter we receive hundreds of calls from the public about birds at feeders. I enjoy them. They let me know when certain birds are present. Once in a while, a really unusual individual is reported. The many inquiries, however, make it evident that an identification guide to winter birds might be helpful. Surely, for each person who calls, there are many more who wonder what they have seen and don't ask. So, I did a painting that includes the most common visitors to a winter feeder, as well as those that prompt the most questions.
In recent years, more and more Americans have been discovering the simple joy of bird feeding. Since the early 1960s, sales of seed have risen by 5 to 10 percent annually. By the mid-'70s, over 40 percent of the families in some regions of the country were feeding birds and Americans in general were spending an estimated $170 million annually on bird seed. Ironically, as this public interest in bird feeding grows, more and more bird habitat is being lost, converted into living space for people. We can help by winter feeding and, in turn, learn to enjoy them fully.
About the birds in the painting:
Blue Jay
These beautiful members of the crow family eat anything from seeds to table scraps. Being noisy, bold and gregarious, they sometimes frighten other birds away. A freely swinging feeding station is usually avoided by blue jays and allows smaller birds to feed undisturbed.
Starling
This six-inch bird is shown in the background here because it can be easily identified in flight. Note its short, pointed wings. It has a long, sharp bill and, in winter, white spots in its black, stocky body. They are usually unwanted at feeders because of their offensive habits and their general tendency to push out our native wildlife. If they become a problem, discontinue feeding suet, table scraps, corn or chicken scratch.
Pine Siskin
This tiny, five-inch finch favors thistle seed--or niger seed, as it is more correctly called--especially if it is provided in a finch feeder, like that shown in the picture. Pine siskins are an unusual and exciting find. They tend to appear in alternate winters.
Evening Grosbeak
These large, stocky seed-eaters visit us sporadically in winter. Consider yourself extremely fortunate if you should find the bright male perched on your feeder. The female is not as vividly marked but is the same size as the male--about seven inches--and has the same thick, ivory-colored bill. They are especially fond of sunflower seeds.
American Goldfinch
Sometimes called wild canaries, these little birds are common in Missouri throughout the year. In winter, their plumage is subdued, which differs considerably from the bright yellow of the male in summer. Goldfinches eat many kinds of seeds. The finch feeder allows them to escape competition from larger birds that find it difficult to land on the small perches.
House Sparrow
Often called English sparrows, these birds are monotonously common. Like starlings, they are not native and are usually undesired at feeders because of their messy, noisy habits. To discourage them, use a swinging feeder and discontinue chicken scratch, bread crumbs or other table scraps.
Purple Finch
These beautiful, crested, winter residents favor sunflower seeds and flocks of them may be with you from mid-fall until May. Males of this species seem misnamed because they are reddish, not purple. They might be confused with an extremely unusual visitor, the common redpoll, which has red more concentrated on its forehead. Females and immatures are brown with heavily streaked breasts. They differ from a similar winter resident, the fox sparrow, because they are less rusty and lack a dark spot in the midst of the streaked breast.
Tree Sparrow
This sparrow is recognized by its rusty cap, eye line, wing bars and plain gray breast with central spot. Tree sparrows, abundant as winter residents, only occasionally venture to feeders where they usually select small seeds from the ground.
Dark-eyed Junco
Also called snowbirds, these lively winter residents are extremely common. They characteristically flash their white outer tail feathers as they flit about. They relish small seeds, particularly scattered on the ground.
Mockingbird
The white wing patches help identify this nine-inch, year-round resident. Severe winter weather often causes a decline in their numbers, so winter weather feeding can be a big help to them. Berries make up a large part of their natural diet in winter. They can be attracted to feeders by raisins, suet and chopped fruit.
Cardinal
These beautiful birds are known to all. The bodies of females are more yellowish-brown than red. Cardinals will be one of the first species species to discover your feeder. They relish sunflower seeds.
White-breasted Nuthatch
These enchanting little birds eat insects from the bark of trees. They can go head-first down a tree as well as upward. They are fond of suet and peanut butter, especially if it is smeared on the bark of trees or stuffed in holes in a small log suspended from a tree branch.
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Unlike the white-breasted nuthatch, the red-breasted comes to Missouri only in winter. It is much more unlikely to turn up than its common cousin and its occurrence is really noteworthy. They are smaller than the white-breasted and have a dark line through the eye. Red-breasted nuthatches also relish suet.
Chickadee
Sunflower seeds, small seeds, suet and peanut butter are selected by this busy character. He can be found feeding upside down on a branch or perched on the side of a tree, so suspend his food from limbs or place it on tree bark as you would for a nuthatch. We have two species of chickadees--the black-capped and the Carolina. The latter generally occupies southern Missouri, is slightly smaller and has a song of four syllables rather than the usual two.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
The male shown here has red over the crown. The female has red only on the back of the head and the crown is gray. Contrary to its name, the belly is buff, not red. Red-bellied woodpeckers eat suet and seeds. They are permanent residents of our state and one of the easiest woodpeckers to attract to a feeder.
Downy Woodpeckers
This is our smallest woodpecker species, measuring only 5 3/4 inches in length (image shown at left). The individual in the picture is shown appropriately on suet, and the red on the back of its head indicates that it is a male. They are almost identical in appearance to the hairy woodpecker, which is not shown. The hairy is larger--7 1/2 inches--and has no black crossbarring in the outer white tail feathers.
Tufted Titmouse
These five-inch, crested birds eat seeds, suet and peanut butter. They are especially likely to visit stations near woods.
Pileated Woodpecker
This crow-sized, gawky "Woody Woodpecker" of cartoon fame causes more question than any other bird at winter feeders. It is uncommon but sometimes visits suet feeders near extensive wooded area. Many people mistake it for the ivory-billed woodpecker, which probably is extinct.
Common Flicker
This woodpecker is best identified by the black apron at its chest, its spotted breast and the yellow under the wings and tail. At 10 inches, it is our second largest woodpecker after the pileated. It is not a common bird-feeder species, but sometimes can be found on seed or suet feeders.
Red-headed Woodpecker
The abundance of these familiar year-round residents fluctuates greatly from year to year and from area to area in response to natural food production. The solid red head and white wing patches distinguish it.
Other Species
Birds not shown in the picture which may make an appearance are seed eaters such as quail, mourning doves, pigeons, blackbirds, Rufous-sided towhees and white-crowned, white-throated, fox, song and Harris' sparrows; suet eaters such as crows, Carolina wrens and brown creepers; and fruit eaters such as brown thrashers, robins, bluebirds and cedar waxwings.
