Common Redpoll

We don’t see the Common Redpoll every year but it’s a treat when they come for a vist.

Latin name: Carduelis flammea

Length, wingspan: 5.25″, 9″

What they eat: Seeds, occasionally berries

Habitat: Woodlands near open fields

Plants that attract: Mix of trees and shrubs

Where they nest: Coniferous and deciduous trees

My observations: The Common Redpoll is a cute little bird about the size of a sparrow. It looks like someone dabbed bits of red paint on its head. Mature females just have a dot of red on the top of their heads, while the males have that plus pinkish-red breasts. We only see Redpolls during the winter months, when they come to stock up on sunflower and Nyjer thistle seed. They gather in flocks and enjoy foraging on the seeds of spent flowers throughout the landscape.

In this video, you can see several Common Redpolls on our 3-tube finch feeder. Look for those red splashes of color:

For more details about this bird, go to Cornell’s All About Birds website.

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