Go Winter Birding, Find New Birds

Bird Species, Appearance, and Behavior Change With the Seasons

Dec 31, 2008

When the weather gets cold, it's still worth getting out to look for birds. In the winter you'll see different behavior, and species that aren't around in summer.

Like people, birds adjust to changing seasons. When the breeding season ends and the weather gets cold, many species migrate to warmer places. Those that stay year round may flock together in fall and winter, and many switch their diet from eating insects to relying on seeds, nuts and fruit. Appearance changes too.

Birds Arriving in Winter

Particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, we tend to think of fall and winter as a time when birds migrate away. The species we see throughout the spring and summer fly south, leaving us longing for spring to come again. But except for Arctic regions, winter is the time to see migrants from further north: many birds spend the breeding season far to the north and a winter season that seems harsh to us is a comfortable climate for them.

Water birds are among the most obvious of these winter visitors, particularly in coastal regions. In North America, scaups, eiders, scoters, and other duck species move south to coasts where the water remains open. Gulls and plovers winter in coastal areas quite far north as well. Raptors come south and become plentiful in some areas. Finches may visit in impressive numbers.

Winter Birds Look Different

Many birds look the same year round, but some have different winter plumage. Winter birding gives us the chance to learn how familiar birds look when they’re not breeding. Finches, egrets, ibis, ptarmigan, gulls and ducks all have species that remain in some areas year round and have different winter plumage. Some look strikingly different.

Winter Bird Behavior

If you have bird feeders, you may have noticed that heavy snow or extremely cold weather tends to bring a lot of birds. At these times, birds have more difficulty finding enough natural food sources—and many that rely on insects in the warmer months are relying on seeds, fruits and nuts now. Bird feeders are valuable sources of high energy food for them. Look for flocks of winter birds in trees and shrubs where berries still cling, in meadows where grasses and herbs set seed in the fall, and anywhere that grains or nuts are available.

Birds flock in winter too. Different species of finches move together, sometimes in flocks of hundreds. Chickadees, nuthatches, and juncos tend to move together as well. Crows roost together at night in the fall and winter, with some crow roosts holding hundreds of thousands of birds. Seabirds congregate wherever the water stays open, and gulls often gather near the leading edge of ice.

Birding is different in winter—you need to dress warmly and look for birds in different places, but you’ll find the experience rewarding because of the new things you’ll see. Even where winters are mild, winter birding is like birding in a new place.

Sources:

Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North AmericaFloyd, Ted. New York: HarperCollins; 2008.

The copyright of the article Go Winter Birding, Find New Birds in Bird Watching is owned by Rosemary Drisdelle. Permission to republish Go Winter Birding, Find New Birds in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.