Winter Birds

Winter time is a great time of year to enjoy some backyard birding.

Firstly, because there is a bigger lack of natural resources at this time of year birds are more apt to search out feeders for supplemental nutrition.

Also, because a lot more shrubs and trees have lost their foliage, it is much easier to look at and enjoy all those backyard visitors.

Having said that, we thought you might like to know what some of the birds are that you are looking at. So here’s a short list of some of the more common ones you are likely to see at your feeder at this time of year.

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis

Northern Cardinal – The Northern Cardinal is prevalent throughout the Carolinas throughout the year, and the male is easily spotted by it’s bright red feathers. The female has more of a tan colored appearance, but still has the distinctive bright orange beak.

Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus

Black Capped Chickadee – The Black Capped Chickadee is a small, sparrow sized bird, that gets it’s name from the sweet song it sings.

Chickadees are pretty brave birds, and with some patience can be “trained” to eat from your hand. They will usually be seen grabbing a seed and taking off with it to de-shell and eat it, and then returning for another one.

Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor

Tufted Titmouse – Usually whenever there are Chickadees in site there will also be Tufted Titmice. These two birds love to hang out together!!

Of course the most distinguishing feature of this bird is, surprise surprise, the tuft that sticks up on the top of their head. Their bodies are a fairly dark gray on top and much paler underneath.

Titmice behave the same way with seed as Chickadees do, taking a seed and holding it between their feet to crack it open. It’s a good show to watch if you get the chance.

Dark-Eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis

Dark Eyed Junco – The Dark Eyed Junco is only seen in the Piedmont during the Winter time, when it travels down from the colder regions of the country to pay us a visit.

This bird is a ground feeder, and can usually be seen picking up a lot of the seed that other birds have kicked out of the feeder.

Juncos have a beautiful two-tone appearance, with buff grey upper bodies, and much lighter underneath. The seperation between upper and lower markings is quite distinctive, and almost seems as if it’s been painted on.

Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus

Carolina Wren – The Carolina Wren is a beautiful little bird which can be seen throughout our region throughout the year, but is more apt to come to feeders in the Winter months, especially if you put out some nice suet for them!

This bird is notorious for living and nesting in pretty much any cavity it comes across, so don’t be surprised if, once you have attracted some, you see them nesting somewhere nearby later in the year.

The most distinctive feature on these birds is probably their flattened looking tail.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus

Woodpeckers – There are a few different types of woodpecker which will visit feeders in our region, though they are definitely more commonly seen during the Winter months.

The Red Bellied Woodpecker (pictured) is a moderate sized Woodpecker, and the male especially has a beautiful bright red head.

Why is it that they are called red-bellied when the majority of red is actually on their head? Don’t have a clue!! If anyone knows the answer to that, please leave a comment, the author would love to know

Downy woodpeckers are also quite commonly seen in our backyard, and are identified by their beautiful black and gray banding. Downies are much smaller than red bellied.

Pileated Woodpeckers will also sometimes be seen, though much more seldomly in the yard. They are the largest of the Woodpeckers, and have a beautiful bright red crown.

White Throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis

Sparrows – There are several types of Sparrow in the Carolinas, and all of them will be happy to come eat at your house if you’ll allow them too.

Sparrows are similar in size and body shape, but their markings are quite different once you begin to study them a little more closely. The White-throated Sparrow(pictured), House Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Wood Sparrow, and others, are all common throughout the area.

Sparrows will feed on the ground as well as on platform feeders, and will also feed out of special Nijer feeders.

Norhtern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos

Northern Mockingbird – The Northern Mockingbird gets it’s deserving name from the fact that it can, quite literally, mock and mimic many different sounds. It is a fairly large bird, and is actually seen more often around the vicinity of a feeder rather than actaully eating at the feeder. In fact, if you just so happen to have a Pyracantha in your yard it’s pretty much gauranteed you’ll have a Mockingbird eating it’s berries!

So there you have it, the more common birds in our area. Of course there are many many more different birds to see than just those listed here, but the ones in this article are definitely pretty prevalent throughout the Piedmont.

If you see one at your feeder that you’re not sure about try to get a photo to show us, or at least a good description, and we’ll try our best to let you know what it is, and what it’s preferred food type is.

Most of the images used in this article were produced by Maria Corcacas