Linda's for the Birds: What is that bird at my feeder? - Part 3
Fox Sparrow.
Photo by: Susan Puder © 2011
by Linda Gangi
I always dread winter. It’s cold and raw, the sun sets so early and rises so late, and I can’t imagine anyone or anything actually enjoying, or at least being comfortable under such circumstances. So why would birds actually migrate to this area for the winter? Imagine they go out of their way to leave their breeding grounds, travel in some cases thousands of miles, to spend the winter in New Jersey! Have they all gone crazy?
No, actually they are doing the sensible thing. It could be compared to the human migration south to Florida that is witnessed every year around January or February. With temperatures plummeting and their food source disappearing birds set their sights on a warmer, more abundant climate. They begin arriving late November into December, as each new cold front blows through it brings with it a new wave of these resourceful creatures.
Visiting us from the Northern forests, the Dark-eyed Junco (5 ½ - 6 ¼ in.), also referred to as the ‘snow bird’, paints a striking picture with its slate-gray body, white belly, under parts and outer tail feathers all topped off by a delicate pink beak; set against the snow you can’t miss this bird. Primarily a ground bird, they will gather beneath your feeder looking for seeds, but when hunger strikes don’t be surprised if they get comfortable on your feeder. The female is a lighter version of the male; with a tint of brown on her wings her delicate coloring is actually quite feminine.
Scratching in the leaves, the White-throated Sparrow’s (6-7 in.) behavior is a key point in identification. Kicking up leaf debris as it goes along, this attractive bird will spend hours searching for seeds and bugs in your yard, around thickets or on the woodland floor. Quite common in winter, showing off its black and white striped head, gray cheeks, bright yellow lores (that area between the eye and the beak) and, of course, its white throat all set on a brown body with a light gray chest and belly. There is a tan-striped version whose white throat isn’t as pronounced, the markings are the same, just replace the black and white stripes with brown and tan stripes, the yellow lores may be more difficult to see though. Both sexes look the same.
One of my all-time favorites is the Fox Sparrow (6 ½ - 7 ½ in.). This rotund sparrow is more common in Southern New Jersey but can be found in the Northern regions as well. Probably the first thing you will notice is its striking rust color. Closer examination will show a gray eyebrow and neck, rust tail and rust spots on its chest set against a white back ground. It also forages by scratching and kicking leaf debris like the White-throated Sparrow and like the Song Sparrow (resident) has a brown spot on its chest, but its larger size and rust color should help tell them apart. It prefers a more woodland setting but will visit the area around a feeder for an easy meal, especially during inclement weather. A few years back, I had three visiting my yard in Newark all winter, coming in to feed after each snow. Both sexes look the same.
The Red-breasted Nuthatch (4 ½ in) will steal your heart, I know it has mine. The highlight of my winter has been having this diminutive nuthatch visit the feeder. Smaller than the White-breasted Nuthatch by up to 1 ½ in., the head markings make it easy to tell them apart, look for a black head that is cut by a white stripe or you could think of it as a black eye stripe topped by a white stripe below a black cap. Its upper body is a blue-gray, just like the White-breasted, but with pale rust belly and under parts. These little gems don’t visit us every year, they are willing to brave the cold, but when their seed crops fail up north they make the trip south. This is called an irruption year and we are experiencing one this winter, so if you have this fellow at your feeder, savor every moment, it may not be back for a few years. The female is lighter, with a head cap that is blue-gray instead of black.
Another irruption year bird, the Pine Siskin (4 ½ - 5 in.) is also making an appearance this winter. When you first see this bird you may be overwhelmed by all of its dark brown streaking (a key identifier) but gather your senses and take a closer look, its sharp, pointy beak, notched tail tinged with yellow and a few yellow wing feathers set against dark brown wings will help you sort it out. The male has yellow wing bars whereas the female does not, the yellow in both sexes is often not pronounced. Aggressive at the feeder, this finch would love to keep the entire thistle feeder to itself and can inundate a feeder with flocks of up to 40 or more.
The Christmas weekend blizzard was stressful on our feeder birds. Imagine weighing a few grams and having to contend with two feet of snow. This is when our help is most needed. Fresh water and fresh seeds everyday could tip the scales in their favor. I put water and seeds right outside my back door as a temporary fix until I could get to the feeders, believe me they took advantage of it, it doesn’t take long for them to figure out where the food is located.
Good Birding to all and a Happy New Year!
References: Birds of Eastern and Central North America; Peterson Fields Guides, Copyright 2002
Linda Gangi is an avid birder, environmentalist, and nature lover. She belongs to the Southern Ocean Birding Group, Atlantic Audubon, and New Jersey Audubon.
I always dread winter. It’s cold and raw, the sun sets so early and rises so late, and I can’t imagine anyone or anything actually enjoying, or at least being comfortable under such circumstances. So why would birds actually migrate to this area for the winter? Imagine they go out of their way to leave their breeding grounds, travel in some cases thousands of miles, to spend the winter in New Jersey! Have they all gone crazy?
No, actually they are doing the sensible thing. It could be compared to the human migration south to Florida that is witnessed every year around January or February. With temperatures plummeting and their food source disappearing birds set their sights on a warmer, more abundant climate. They begin arriving late November into December, as each new cold front blows through it brings with it a new wave of these resourceful creatures.
Visiting us from the Northern forests, the Dark-eyed Junco (5 ½ - 6 ¼ in.), also referred to as the ‘snow bird’, paints a striking picture with its slate-gray body, white belly, under parts and outer tail feathers all topped off by a delicate pink beak; set against the snow you can’t miss this bird. Primarily a ground bird, they will gather beneath your feeder looking for seeds, but when hunger strikes don’t be surprised if they get comfortable on your feeder. The female is a lighter version of the male; with a tint of brown on her wings her delicate coloring is actually quite feminine.
Scratching in the leaves, the White-throated Sparrow’s (6-7 in.) behavior is a key point in identification. Kicking up leaf debris as it goes along, this attractive bird will spend hours searching for seeds and bugs in your yard, around thickets or on the woodland floor. Quite common in winter, showing off its black and white striped head, gray cheeks, bright yellow lores (that area between the eye and the beak) and, of course, its white throat all set on a brown body with a light gray chest and belly. There is a tan-striped version whose white throat isn’t as pronounced, the markings are the same, just replace the black and white stripes with brown and tan stripes, the yellow lores may be more difficult to see though. Both sexes look the same.
One of my all-time favorites is the Fox Sparrow (6 ½ - 7 ½ in.). This rotund sparrow is more common in Southern New Jersey but can be found in the Northern regions as well. Probably the first thing you will notice is its striking rust color. Closer examination will show a gray eyebrow and neck, rust tail and rust spots on its chest set against a white back ground. It also forages by scratching and kicking leaf debris like the White-throated Sparrow and like the Song Sparrow (resident) has a brown spot on its chest, but its larger size and rust color should help tell them apart. It prefers a more woodland setting but will visit the area around a feeder for an easy meal, especially during inclement weather. A few years back, I had three visiting my yard in Newark all winter, coming in to feed after each snow. Both sexes look the same.
The Red-breasted Nuthatch (4 ½ in) will steal your heart, I know it has mine. The highlight of my winter has been having this diminutive nuthatch visit the feeder. Smaller than the White-breasted Nuthatch by up to 1 ½ in., the head markings make it easy to tell them apart, look for a black head that is cut by a white stripe or you could think of it as a black eye stripe topped by a white stripe below a black cap. Its upper body is a blue-gray, just like the White-breasted, but with pale rust belly and under parts. These little gems don’t visit us every year, they are willing to brave the cold, but when their seed crops fail up north they make the trip south. This is called an irruption year and we are experiencing one this winter, so if you have this fellow at your feeder, savor every moment, it may not be back for a few years. The female is lighter, with a head cap that is blue-gray instead of black.
Another irruption year bird, the Pine Siskin (4 ½ - 5 in.) is also making an appearance this winter. When you first see this bird you may be overwhelmed by all of its dark brown streaking (a key identifier) but gather your senses and take a closer look, its sharp, pointy beak, notched tail tinged with yellow and a few yellow wing feathers set against dark brown wings will help you sort it out. The male has yellow wing bars whereas the female does not, the yellow in both sexes is often not pronounced. Aggressive at the feeder, this finch would love to keep the entire thistle feeder to itself and can inundate a feeder with flocks of up to 40 or more.
The Christmas weekend blizzard was stressful on our feeder birds. Imagine weighing a few grams and having to contend with two feet of snow. This is when our help is most needed. Fresh water and fresh seeds everyday could tip the scales in their favor. I put water and seeds right outside my back door as a temporary fix until I could get to the feeders, believe me they took advantage of it, it doesn’t take long for them to figure out where the food is located.
Good Birding to all and a Happy New Year!
References: Birds of Eastern and Central North America; Peterson Fields Guides, Copyright 2002
Linda Gangi is an avid birder, environmentalist, and nature lover. She belongs to the Southern Ocean Birding Group, Atlantic Audubon, and New Jersey Audubon.
Previous birding exclusives:
- Linda's For the Birds: Of Birds and Blizzards
- Don's Jersey Birding: That's why they call them bird feeders
- Linda's For the Birds: What is that bird at my feeder? - Part 2
- Don's Jersey Birding: A Birder’s Time of Year for Reflection
- WNJ Exclusive: What is that bird at my feeder?
Posted by WILDNEWJERSEY at 1/10/2011 11:36 AM 
Categories: Linda's For the Birds
Tags: pine siskin red breasted nuthatch white throated sparrow dark eyed junco migration fox sparrow
Categories: Linda's For the Birds
Tags: pine siskin red breasted nuthatch white throated sparrow dark eyed junco migration fox sparrow
As a casual, but enthusiastic birder I have enjoyed your articles. A few years ago I vowed to learn to identify sparrows. Now when a white throated sparrow visits and forages or my song sparrows are about I enjoy differentiating them from the house sparrows. I believe I even had a tiny swamp sparrow(?)visit my birdbath and undergrowth outside my window a few springs ago. I wish you had been here to help me identify him. I am still waiting for a fox sparrow!
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