Snow Birds
EMBARK ON A WINTER ADVENTURE
Meet six species named for their festive, wintry plumage.
IN SEARCH OF THESE EXTRA-SPECIAL FLIERS— NAMED FOR THEIR WHITE PLUMAGE.
IT’S BUSY SEASON AT THE FEEDERS,
but to see most of these similarly named birds you’ll have to go beyond the backyard. Each species is from a different family, so they have a wide range of habitats that match their specialized needs—from farm fields and grasslands to ocean beaches.
Like human snowbirds, most of them move south for a winter stay in a warmer place. South can mean almost anywhere in the Lower 48, especially for the Arctic birds, so keep your eyes open for these snowy winter friends.
SNOWY OWL
Lemmings have been the butt of jokes since the myth of them committing mass suicide went mainstream, thanks to faked scenes in a 1958 Disney movie. But lemmings are no laughing matter to the big white owl of the Arctic—the mouse-sized rodents are the snowy owl’s main menu item. In winter, some snowies move south erratically, and individuals may show up as far south as Texas and Florida. They prefer grasslands but are also seen perched high on roofs or at landfills, where they keep a lookout for rats—or to them, supersize lemmings!
SNOW GOOSE
A huge flock of snow geese rising from a farmer’s field, swirling and honking, is an awesome sight. But these birds have become too much of a good thing, exploding in numbers over the past few decades. More than 5 million honk their way from Arctic tundra nesting grounds to winter quarters along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and in inland fields and lakes. Voracious vegetarians, the vast flocks cause habitat-altering damage as they congregate and feed, which affects all sorts of other species. Snow geese often nest close to snowy owls in the Arctic. The owls’ fierce defense of their own nests helps keep foxes and other predators away from goose nests, too.
SNOW BUNTING
These spunky sparrowlike birds nest farther north than any other passerine, arriving on Arctic homelands when temperatures still dip as low as 20 below zero! In winter, they head south to open fields, shorelines and roadsides across all but the southernmost U.S. Look for these buntings foraging in flocks for weed seeds in fields or along shorelines. When the flock flies a short distance to a better spot, they flutter like windblown snow, which inspires their “snowflake” nickname.
SNOWBIRD (JUNCO)
Winter is coming! And the arrival of juncos is one of the first signs. Loyal feeder friends from late fall through spring in most regions, they are present year-round in the West and the Appalachians. Their gray hoods remind us of a stormy sky, with their white bellies being the snow beneath. Although they’re called dark-eyed juncos officially, they’ve been known as snowbirds since before Audubon’s day. Inexpensive millet is their favorite feeder seed.
FOLLOW THE FORECAST
To keep track of which snowy birds are in your area, join a Facebook page for birds of your state. Just search Facebook for “birds Illinois,” for example, and join the group. Planning a snowbird trip of your own? Join the page for your destination state, too!
SNOWY EGRET
This small white heron is super easy to spot and Id—but only if its unique bright feet (on black legs) aren’t under the water. Look for yellow toes most of the year, or orange feet in the breeding season. Luckily, it frequently dashes after its aquatic prey, revealing those trademark tootsies. Find snowy egrets, often among other wading birds, on your own snowbird vacation to the Gulf or Atlantic coasts, where they live year-round, or in winter on the Pacific coast. The egrets nest in colonies, inland as well as on the coasts.
SNOWY PLOVER
The feast of billions of brine flies is quite the show at Utah’s Great Salt Lake, one of the inland salt flats where snowy plovers breed. These shorebirds get their share of flies by running through the mass with open bills, snapping fast. Practically invisible when not in motion, the 6-inch birds are found year-round on the Pacific and Gulf coasts, or on inland salt flats during breeding season. Signs and seasonally restricted areas keep people from stepping on eggs or nestlings. •
Sally Roth was thrilled to host Snowflake, a mostly white leucistic chickadee, for several years.