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The theme this winter is that each finch species will use a
different strategy to deal with the widespread tree seed crop
failure in the Northeast. It will be a quiet winter in the eastern
North Woods. See individual species forecasts for details. Both
coniferous and hardwood tree seed crops are generally poor from
northeastern Ontario extending eastward across Quebec to
Newfoundland south through the Maritime Provinces, New York and New
England States. Within the Northeast there are pockets of good
crops. Cone crops are much better in the Hudson Bay Lowlands and
northwestern Ontario west to Alberta, Northwest Territories and
Yukon. Three irruptive non-finch passerines whose movements are
linked to finches are also discussed.
INDIVIDUAL FINCH FORECASTS
Pine Grosbeak:
A good flight is expected into
southern Ontario because the mountain-ash berry crop is variable in
the boreal forest. Many berries are hard with low moisture content
because of the drought. The European mountain-ash and ornamental
crabapple crops are poor to fair in southern Ontario so these crops
won't last long. Grosbeaks will be attracted to the usually abundant
buckthorn berries and to bird feeders offering black oil sunflower
seeds. The Ontario breeding population of this grosbeak is stable.
Purple Finch:
Most Purple Finches will migrate south of Ontario
this fall because both coniferous and deciduous hardwood seed crops
are very low this year in the Northeast.
Purple Finch numbers dropped significantly in recent
decades as spruce budworm outbreaks subsided and currently a
moderate population decline continues in the province.
Red Crossbill:
Red Crossbills comprise at least 10
"types" in North America. Each type probably represents a separate
or newly evolving species. Most types are normally impossible to
identify in the field without recordings of their flight calls. Matt
Young of The Cornell Lab of Ornithology reports that there is
currently a large early irruption of Type 3 Red Crossbills (smallest
billed type) from the west into eastern North America. Recordings
can be made with a cell phone and sent to Matt to be identified
(may6 AT cornell.edu). Every recording adds an important piece to
the puzzle, especially when accompanied by notes on behaviour and
ecology, including tree species used for foraging and nesting. Matt
emphasizes that the conservation of call types depends on
understanding their complex distributions and ecological
requirements.
White-winged Crossbill:
With very poor spruce cone crops in
the Northeast, most White-winged Crossbills will likely stay this
winter in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, northwestern Ontario and western
Canada where spruce cone crops are generally very good. They will be
virtually absent from traditional hotspots such as Algonquin Park
where spruce crops are very low. Wandering birds may show up
throughout the Northeast.
Common Redpolls:
There should be a good southward flight because the
white birch seed crop is poor to fair across the north. Watch for
redpolls on birches and in weedy fields and at bird feeders offering
nyger (preferred) and black oil sunflower seeds.
Check flocks for the rare "Greater" Common Redpoll (subspecies
rostrata) from the High Arctic. It is reliably identified by its
larger size, darker and browner colour, longer/thicker bill and
longer tail in direct comparison to "Southern" Common Redpolls
(nominate flammea subspecies). Note: The notion of a
"biennial periodicity" that redpolls irrupt south every second
winter is not supported by records in Atlantic Canada (Erskine and
McManus 2003). The authors concluded
that "irregular abundance but near-annual occurrence"
of redpolls in the Atlantic Provinces is a better explanation than a
two year cycle. Similarly
redpolls were recorded on 32 of 38 Christmas Bird
Counts
in
Algonquin Park
(Lat. 45.5 N), Ontario.
Hoary Redpolls:
Check
redpoll flocks for Hoary Redpolls. There are two subspecies. Most
Hoaries seen in southern Canada and northern United States are
"Southern" Hoary Redpolls (subspecies exilipes). "Hornemann's Hoary Redpoll
(nominate subspecies hornemanni) from the High Arctic was
previously regarded as a great rarity in southern Canada and the
northern United States. In recent decades a number have been
confirmed by photographs. Hornemann's is most reliably identified by
its larger size in direct comparison to flammea Common
Redpoll or exilipes Hoary Redpoll. Caution: White birds loom
larger than life among darker birds and size illusions are frequent.
Pine Siskin:
Some siskins currently in the
Northeast should move south this fall and winter because cone crops
are poor. However, siskins are an opportunistic nomad wandering east
and west continent-wide in search of cone crops. Most siskins will
probably winter in northwestern Ontario and western Canada where
cone crops are generally very good. Major southward irruptions occur
when cone crops fail across most of North America.
Evening Grosbeak:
This spectacular grosbeak is ABA's
Bird of the Year in 2012. We can expect some at feeders in central
Ontario and probably elsewhere in the Northeast because coniferous
and hardwood tree seed supplies are low. Highest breeding densities
are found in areas with spruce budworm outbreaks. The larvae are
eaten by adults and fed to young. Current populations are much lower
than several decades ago when budworm outbreaks were much larger and
more widespread.
THREE IRRUPTIVE
PASSERINES
Movements of the following three
species are often linked to the boreal finches.
Blue Jay:
Expect a smaller flight than last
year along the north shorelines of Lakes Ontario and Erie because
the red oak acorn crop is very good in central Ontario. Beechnut and
hazelnut crops were poor to none, but the acorn crop may be large
enough to keep many jays in the north this winter.
Red-breasted
Nuthatch:
A widespread irruption of this
nuthatch beginning in mid-summer indicated a cone crop failure in
the Northeast. Most will leave the eastern half of the province for
the winter, but some will probably remain in northwestern Ontario
where cone crops are much better.
Bohemian
Waxwings:
Expect a flight this winter because the
mountain-ash berry crop in the boreal forest was affected by
drought. Even though some areas have large crops, many berries are
hard with low moisture content. Farther south Bohemians will be
attracted to the usually abundant buckthorn berries because European
mountain-ash and ornamental crabapple crops are generally low and
of poor quality.
Where To See Finches:
Algonquin Park is
a winter adventure about a three hour drive north of Toronto, but
this will be a very lean finch winter in the park. Conifer crops are
poor to none. Feeders at the Visitor Centre (km 43) should have Pine
Grosbeaks, Evening Grosbeaks, and redpolls. The Visitor Centre and
restaurant are open weekends in winter. Arrangements can be made to
view feeders on weekdays by calling
613-637-2828. The nearby Spruce
Bog Trail at km 42.5 and Opeongo Road are good spots for Gray Jays,
Boreal Chickadees, Spruce Grouse and Black‐backed Woodpeckers. Be
sure to get a copy of the new "Birds of Algonquin Park" (2012) by
Ron Tozer. It is one of the best regional bird books ever published
with lots of information about winter finches and boreal
specialties.
http://store.algonquinpark.on.ca/cgi/algonquinpark
Winter Finch
Basics:
A primer about finch facts, seed
crops and irruptions.
http://www.jeaniron.ca/2012/winterfinches.htm
Excellent paper on
berry crops in Ontario:
http://people.trentu.ca/jebowman/Howeetal2012.pdf
Acknowledgements:
I thank staff of
the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources designated by an asterisk*
and others whose reports allow me to make annual forecasts: Dennis
Barry (Durham Region), Eleanor Beagan (Prince Edward Island), Pascal
Cote (Tadoussac Bird Observatory, Quebec), Bruce Di Labio (Eastern
Ontario and Churchill, Manitoba), Carolle Eady (Dryden), Cameron
Eckert (Yukon), Marcel Gahbauer (Alberta & Northwest Territories),
Michel Gosselin (Canadian Museum of Nature), David Govatski (New
Hampshire), Charity Hendry* (Ontario Tree Seed Facility), Leo Heyens*
(Kenora), Tyler Hoar (Northern Ontario & Quebec Laurentians, Jean
Iron (Hudson Bay, James Bay & Northeastern Ontario), Bruce Mactavish
(Newfoundland), Brian Naylor* (Nipissing), Justin Peter* (Algonquin
Park), Genevieve Perreault (Regroupement QuebecOiseaux), Fred Pinto*
(North Bay), Harvey & Brenda Schmidt (Creighton, Saskatchewan), Ron
Tozer (Algonquin Park), Declan Troy (Alaska), Mike Turner (Haliburton
Highlands), John Woodcock (Thunder Cape Bird Observatory) and Kirk
Zufelt (Sault Ste Marie, Ontario). I especially thank Matt Young of
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology for advice and detailed information
about seed crops in New York and adjacent states and for information
about Red Crossbills. Jean Iron proofed the forecast and made
helpful comments.
Ron Pittaway
Ontario Field
Ornithologists
Minden, Ontario
19 September 2012 |
