Irruption Alert: Look for Evening Grosbeaks at Bird Feeders

Courtesy Nancy Tully

Grab your binoculars and watch your bird feeders for evening grosbeaks. According to the 2020 Winter Finch Forecast from the Ontario Field Ornithologists, “this spectacular winter finch appears to be on the move this winter.”

Tyler Hoar took the reins of the annual finch count forecast from Ron Pittaway this year. “Expect to see evening grosbeaks in southern Ontario, southern Quebec, Maritime Provinces, New York and the New England states, with some finches traveling farther south into the United States. At feeders they prefer black oil sunflower seeds,” he writes.

Tadoussac Bird Observatory in Quebec observed grosbeaks moving primarily toward the southwest. The observatory’s visual counts are reported to be the highest early fall numbers recorded in 25 years.

These are the 5 grosbeaks backyard birders should know.

Courtesy Gail Huddle

Purple Finches and Red-Breasted Nuthatches

Tyler also expects most purple finches to migrate south out of Eastern Canada this winter. “Reports of early movement of this species into the border states have been occurring for weeks,” he writes.

Learn how to tell the difference between house finches and purple finches.

Birders should also look for red-breasted nuthatches at feeders.

“Red-breasted nuthatches have been irrupting south since mid-August. Individuals have made it as far as Oklahoma and Alabama. With cone crops in the eastern boreal forest mostly poor, expect this species to continue to move southward. At feeders, this species prefers black oil sunflower seeds, suet, and peanuts,” he writes.