I saw the first one this morning. A little snowbird – a Dark Eyed Junco, to be exact. He was hopping around beneath the feeder, picking up bits of sunflower hearts and seeds that the finches had dislodged. Almost always, the snowbirds feed on the ground. I’ll have to start leaving more seeds on the ground as I tend to my feeders.
Snowbirds are cheerful little birds and not terrible skittish. I can usually approach within a few feet before they scurry away.
Snowbirds are part-time residents in my yard. They show up around mid-November, then pack their bags and head north each spring. But at least I have them for a few months. The males are strikingly black and white, while the females are a dustier gray. They adapt to many types of habitat – from wooded areas to open clearings and especially back yards – if there are seeds to be had.
Snowbirds are members of the sparrow family and, as do their cousins, hop around and scratch for seeds with both feet. They rely on seeds and insects for their diet but will eat a berry or two if available.
Juncos come south in the winter, and females will migrate further south than do the fellows. In summer, they nest to our north.
In the past, one or two snowbirds show up, followed by another 6 or 8. I usually have about a dozen that hang around.
It’s good to have them back.