Introduction
Despite having the word “common” in its name, the Common Redpoll is actually a very uncommon bird to spot along the Washington Coast. Members of this species don’t often make their way to the coast, or anywhere else in Western Washington for that matter. They are a more frequent sight in Eastern Washington (4). However, in years when food is scarce, they will visit Western Washington in order to fill their bellies (4). This year may be one of those years, as reports of sightings of the Common Redpoll have been coming in from Neah Bay, the Nisqually area, and Barnaby Slough in Skagit County (4, 6). As of this week, the Coastal Interpretive Center has not received any reports of Common Redpolls being seen in Ocean Shores this year. However, there are numerous reports on the eBird website of the species being seen in Hoquiam in 2017 (5), which suggest that this species has come to Grays Harbor looking for food in the past and provides hope that they will do so again.
Physical Characteristics
The Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) is both a finch and a songbird (1, 3). They are relatively small, being about the size of an American Goldfinch (1). They are 4.7 to 5.5 inches (12 to 14 centimeters) long, and weigh 0.4 to 0.7 ounces (11 to 20 grams) (1). Their wingspan is 7.5 to 8.7 inches (19 to 22 centimeters) in length (1). Common Redpolls have small heads with pointed bills designed for eating seeds. Their tails are short and feature a small notch at the tip (1).
Common Redpolls are mostly white and brown birds with sides that are “heavily streaked” (1). They have a small, red patch on their foreheads, a yellow bill with black feathering surrounding it, and a pair of white wingbars (1). Males also have a pale red vest on their chest and upper flanks (1).
Habitat
Common Redpolls make their homes in the open woods of pine, birch, alder, willow, and spruce trees in elevations of up to 5,000 feet (9). In the tundra, where trees often are few and far between, they live in shelters and hollows where conifers and deciduous shrubs are able to survive (9). During the winter, Common Redpolls may live in open woodlands, scrublands, and weedy fields (9).
Diet and Feeding Behavior
Common Redpolls are primarily seed eaters. They eat a wide array of seeds from a variety of plants, including from trees (pine, spruce, alder, willow, and birch are preferred), wildflowers (buttercups and mustards are their favorites in this category), sedges, grasses, and berries (9). During the summer, the Common Redpoll’s diet expands to include a large number of insects and spiders (9). When winter rolls around, millet, thistle, and nyjer seeds are also eaten (9).
Common Redpolls are constantly on the lookout for food. They forage quite actively in trees, weeds, and shrubs, as well as on the ground. They typically forage in flocks, except during nesting season (3). When a flock is feeding intensively in a grove of birch trees, the sound of many loose seeds dropping to the ground as the birds forage can be be mistaken for light rainfall (7).
The Common Redpoll is unique in that it has a pouch located within its throat where it is able to store some food for up to several hours (3). This allows the bird to feed quickly in open areas during the winter, and then digest the food over a longer period of time while it rests in a sheltered location (3).
Courtship
When it comes time for Common Redpolls to form bonded pairs for breeding season, males will attract females by feeding them seeds (8). They will also “vocalize” while flying around slowly in circles (8).
Constructing the Nest
There is a bit of uncertainty regarding who constructs the Common Redpoll’s nest. The Houston Audubon Society suggests that the female is the one who does the heavy lifting in building the nest, which suggests that the male does have a role to play in the construction of the nest (8). The National Audubon Society suggests that the nest is “probably” built by the female (3). Meanwhile the Cornell Lab of Ornithology states that the female Common Redpoll is indeed the one who builds the nest (9). It is also stated that the female is the one who does “most of the searching” for nest sites (9). More research is needed to determine whether or not the male Common Redpoll does indeed have a role to play in the construction of nests and what it might be.
The Common Redpoll prefers to build its nests in willow, alder, and spruce trees. The ideal place within a tree for the Common Redpoll to build a nest is a spot that is fairly close to the ground (8). If trees are not available, low ground cover can be used as an alternative nesting site (8). During the winter, Common Redpolls may dig tunnels within the snow to provide a warmer spot to spend the nighttime hours (8).
The Common Redpoll’s nest is constructed on a foundation of small twigs that are laid across thin branches (9). The nest is made up of a combination of grasses, roots, tree moss, and fine twigs (9). The nest is then lined with a thick layer of feathers, with Ptarmigan feathers being preferred (9). The finished nest is about four inches across and two inches deep, with a diameter of approximately 2.5 inches (9).
Eggs and the Young
Common Redpolls typically lay four to five eggs (3), though they can lay anywhere from two to seven eggs (9). The eggs are blue-green to pale green color. Purplish to reddish brown spots are normally concentrated at the larger end of the eggs (3).
The incubation process is handled exclusively by the female, and runs for ten to eleven days. The male will feed the female during this period of time (3). When the young hatch, they spend their first twelve days of life in the nest before venturing out into the world. The young are mostly fed by the female, though the male will sometimes help with this task (3).
Liking the Cold
Common Redpolls capable of enduring cold temperatures that normally send other birds flying south to seek warmer weather (3). In fact, Common Redpolls actually does better in cold temperatures compared to warm temperatures (7). This may be the reason why Common Redpolls are more commonly seen in Eastern Washington versus Western Washington as during the winter, Eastern Washington is often colder than Western Washington, making it more attractive for the species (2). As a result, their annual migration is more dependent on food availability than temperature and they will venture into somewhat warmer areas if there is not enough food for them in their usual habitats (3).
References
- https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/id#
- https://wrcc.dri.edu/Climate/narrative_wa.php#:~:text=Extremes%20in%20both%20summer%20and,less%20than%20in%20western%20Washington.
- https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/common-redpoll
- https://www.thejoltnews.com/stories/natural-areas-for-bird-watching,13169
- https://ebird.org/species/comred/US-WA-027
- https://ebird.org/species/comred/US-WA
- https://www.nrcm.org/nrcm-creature-feature/common-redpoll/
- https://houstonaudubon.org/birding/gallery/common-redpoll.html#:~:text=During%20courtship%2C%20males%20will%20feed,%2C%20alder%2C%20and%20spruce%20trees.
- https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Redpoll/lifehistory#:~:text=Nest%20Description,%2C%20roots%2C%20and%20tree%20moss.
© Ian Caldwell, December 2023