Keep An Eye Out for New Visitors

Winter is moving in, but that isn’t the only thing new around here. You may have spotted a few feathered out-of-towners that may be sticking around for winter.

Winter is a great time to look for uncommon bird species. Juncos and other sparrows and finches may be making a repeat appearance in your yard this winter as many of them come back to the same exact location each year.

Keep your feeders full and look for birds associated with “irruptions.” When natural winter food supplies are scarce in northern Canada, numerous bird species “irrupt,” migrating south in search of food.

The most common irruptive birds are Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, Common Redpolls and Evening and Pine Grosbeaks.

Be a seasonally savvy bird feeder by offering the right food (in the right place), to better your chances of attracting some of these birds.

Juncos

Lovers of millet, you can attract Juncos to your yard by offering WBU Deluxe Blend in a ground feeder or any hanging feeder with a bit of a tray or platform to land on. They’re persistent foragers and have been known to burrow through snow in search of seeds.  Lately, they've discovered Bark Butter Bits and will got to just about any feeder containing these fantastic treats that are available only at Wild Birds Unlimited.  In addition, they truly enjoy our No-Mess blends.  With all of the hulls removed, their tiny bills can easily eat every bit of these mixes.

Pine Siskins & Goldfinches

These “winter finches” are attracted to WBU Finch Feeders filled with Nyjer® or WBU Finch Blend. You can also attract them to your Seed Tube Feeders by offering blends with sunflower chips like our WBU No-Mess Blend.

Grosbeaks

If they’re visiting your yard, be ready - they are hungry birds. For best results, offer No-Mess NM Blend in a Fly-through, Hopper or Tube Feeder. Before the 1850s, Evening Grosbeaks were not commonly found east of the Rocky Mountains. Now, winter irruptions can occur across the country.

As you can see, our feathered guests’ tastes and preferences vary, so it’s important to be prepared. Because, before you know it, these out-of-towners will be just that - headed out of town.

Visit us this month, and we’ll make sure you have everything you need to keep your resident birds happy and to help attract these winter guests.