Educate Yourself About the Common Redpoll and Its Habitat

Common Redpoll

(Carduelis flammea)
Fringillidae

The Common Redpoll has a tiny yellow bill, bright red cap, dark lore and throat, pinkish breast, gray with brown streaks on flanks, round wings with wing bars, longer tailed than Pine Siskins, and goldfinches. Its length is 5in (13cm) Its wingspan is 9in (23cm)

Its voice is song of a trill, followed by the rattling “chet-chet-chet-chet”. Their eggs are blue or green, spotted with dark violet and blue, with 1 clutch consisting of 4-5 or (4-7) eggs. The female incubates for around 10-11 days, and fledging time is about 12 days.

Both male and female feed their young. Male and female look alike

The Common Redpoll is a lovely little wandering bird from the far north that has an acrobatic side to them. You can observe them hanging upside down, feeding on their favorite alder, and birch seeds, and once in a while they will feed on willow buds, seeds of grasses, and seeds of weed as well. They will leave the far north every few years, and show up at your bird feeding stations in the northern states and in southern Canada, when the food supply is scares.

These birds are masters at staying warm and alive during extreme freezing conditions, and have another way then other northern birds, to build up a fat supply. Instead the Common Redpoll will bunch together in dense conifer patches, to build up body heat. They will also use their stash of seeds they filled during the day, in a special pouch located in their throat, to feed on during long cold winter nights that could reach as low as -81 degrees F (-63 degrees C).

Like other birds from the far north, they are very friendly around people, and will actually become very tame, when waiting for you to fill your hanging bird feeders and bird tables with nyger, and black-oil sunflower seeds. Sometimes they will mingle with other flocks, like goldfinch and siskins, in forest edges and other open brushy fields.

If you like to attract the Common Redpoll to your lovely bird feeding garden, fill your hanging bird feeders, and bird tables with black-oil sunflower seeds, and nyger seeds. Plant trees such as alder, and birch. Always provide fresh water, and clean bird baths close by.