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Our Winter Flocks
Written By: William McReynolds - Highlands Plateau Audubon Society | Issue: March 2024
Your feathered neighbors could use a measure of neighborly love.
Tufted Titmouse
If you live amongst the trees here in Western North Carolina – and who doesn’t – you probably have a resident mixed, winter flock of birds living around you.
This mixed flock is composed of juncos, titmice, chickadees, wren, nuthatches, sparrows, finch, small woodpeckers, cardinals, and a few other species. It’s a localized flock and if you have bird feeders you will see them, the same one or two dozen birds, come and go as the flock forages during the day.
This residential flock is native to your property, as much as the maples and oaks that grace your lot or acreage. It’s your mixed flock in that you can maintain and nurture it as you pamper your native Flame Azaleas and Jack-in-the-Pulpit. These birds go through the winter with us. Imagine their challenge as temperatures dip below freezing.
Chickadee
The more you get to know your winter flock the more you can enjoy it. The accompanying photos feature some of our more common winter birds. They’re easy to recognize: the little chickadees have black caps and chins; the titmice have crests; the nuthatches are upside down; the ubiquitous juncos are slate grey with white bellies; the cardinals – well, you know the cardinals.
If you have a suet feeder you will see black and white woodpeckers. Many birds will eat fatty suet on frigid winter days to maintain their body temperature.
Bird feeders are a good way of nurturing and sustaining these precious winter wards. Feed the birds and watch your flock grow. We’ve encouraged you to maintain bird feeders before so here’s a bulleted summary of what to do:
• The best seed feeders defeat squirrels and provide posts for the birds to land on.
• Bird feeders must be accessible for refill. Winter birds are ravenous eaters.
• Sunflower seeds attract the flashiest birds.
• In the cold of winter, you can leave your feeders out overnight because the bears are hibernating and the raccoons are inactive.
• Check our website or Audubon National to get into specifics.
White-breasted Nuthatch
Always wash your hands after handling your feeders.
Use an app or bird book to identify your grateful guests. Expect a menagerie of avian delights. Every bird is part of our rich Natural Heritage.
Happy March bird watching from the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society. Visit us at highlandsaudubonsociety.org.
