Bird Feeding Treats
~ by Jim Eagleman
Field Notes
The evening grosbeaks.
I
took a second look at the bird feeders one morning— something was different— not the normal chickadeenuthatch-titmouse convention, with doves and jays on standby. This time there was a group of large, chunky birds, with predominantly yellow and gray shades, and big bills. I watched them, males with females, and juveniles, too. I yelled to Kay,“ evening grosbeaks,” as she said the same. What a treat!
Since that first encounter a few weeks ago, we’ ve watched to see if they would come around again. Absent during mild weather, they returned at the onset of a cold spell. We thought their appearance here was a bit unusual. After confirming with friends, we began researching the behavior.
Biologists call it an irruption when a redistribution of a species occurs due to natural causes. It might be from a higher birth rate, followed by competition for food that results in an influx; weather, predation, and disease could also explain it. Recently, high numbers of purple finches and evening grosbeaks have been moving south from summer homes. Brown County residents who feed birds may notice them.
Evening grosbeaks are known for their thick bills. Their head feathers remind me of the University of Michigan football helmets. They arrived at the state park’ s Nature Center bird observation window a few winters ago. We stocked sunflower seed feeders daily for a variety of birds. The year-round attraction gives visitors an up-close look through a one-way glass. I didn’ t see them every winter, or with predictable cold fronts. They flew in from the nearest open vista, arriving at every feeder, noisy and busy. Soon flurries flitted down. Unlike the rose-breasted grosbeak, an unrelated springtime migrant here, these birds waited for the cold.
The evening grosbeak, or EGB to birders, is a member of the finch and old-world sparrow Fringillidae family, in the order Passeriformes. The length is about 8 inches with a wingspan of 14.5 inches. They weigh about two ounces and are short. Watch for field identifiers: white wing patches, a massive head, short tail, and pointed wings. The big bill, like the cardinal, is the standout. It
50 Our Brown County Jan./ Feb. 2023