Common Redpoll, Mealy Redpoll

I get whole flocks of these in the winter coming to eat off the feeders. We enjoy trying to pick out the two or three hoary redpolls in the group of thirty. These birds seem to prefer to eat off the ground.

On 2/6/09 noticed them coming to the feeder - notice them by their black marking on their face - mixed in with pine siskens and goldfinches. They have striped bellies like Pine Siskens but are free of stripes along the center of their bellies. Both males and females have a reddish mark on their top of the head, giving them the redpoll name. The males have a rosy cast to their upper body, almost like house finch but a bit paler. For me, tend to be unfrequent visitor to the feeder in winter time maybe once every 4 to 6 years but don't know for sure, mixed with goldfinches and close species.

This is a really adorable bird which visited my yard in late December through late February. It seems to prefer nyjer seed to sunflower.