Common Redpoll

Despite the fact that Common Redpolls are fairly common, I never seen any till last weekend.... Believe me, I've tried.

The red cap is what draws my attention.... The Common Redpoll is a small streaked breast finch, with a tiny pointed yellow bill and a deeply notched black tail. They are brown overall with two white wing bars. The best field marks are the black chin and the distinctive “red cap.” They do look similar to several other species of birds, please check with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for more details.

These birds from the Arctic often travel in large flocks, many as a couple of hundred have been reported.... There are also often seen foraging for seeds in conifer forests, weedy fields and backyard feeders along with Pine Siskins, They do have a rather irregular migration, coming down from the Great White North when the food supply is scarce. Sightings in Racine County are also sporadic, a few small flocks have been seen here and there, especially around Shoop Park and Olympia Brown School.

These pictures were taken over the weekend at my folk's place up in Pickerel, WI. Imagine the surprise on my face when I saw a huge flock of these birds in their feeder! Especially after missing out opportunities here in Racine! A lifer for me....