Several bird species are likely to frequent Island feeders in early winter.
A good bird book is needed to confirm your identifications; books by Peterson, Sibley, Stokes, or National Geographic are excellent. See the sidebar for descriptions of these books.
Photos of birds in question help to confirm identifications; photos through a window are acceptable if you can see the identification marks.
The species listed are grouped with their relatives or look-alikes.
Black-capped chickadee (our basic feeder bird),
Tufted titmouse (feather tuft on head),
Boreal chickadee (brown head) is a possibility on the Island.
Photograph is needed for confirmation.
Downy woodpecker (petite bill),
Hairy woodpecker (sturdy bill)
Red-bellied woodpecker (some red on belly, red on head, larger),
Pileated woodpecker (big white wing patch when flying).
Other woodpeckers occur rarely. Check bird books!
Nuthatches include white-breasted and red-breasted, and they walk head first down tree trunks,
Brown creeper walks mostly upward and sideways on tree trunks and does not feed on feeders but on tidbits under the bark.
American goldfinch (yellow to brown plain bodies, white and yellow wing bars in dark wings),
Pine siskin (same size as goldfinches, same wing bars but striped bodies),
Common redpoll (same size, stripes like pine siskin, red dot on forehead and throat/chest),
Hoary redpoll (occasional sighting; very white in comparison to common redpoll).
These species sometimes occur in large numbers and make a lot of zzzzzit and dideee sounds.
Northern cardinal; note also the immature plumages.
Purple finch (male rose red, female striped brown, both with light eyebrow stripe),
House finch (male deep red with thick brown stripes on lower belly, female striped brown; both lack the eyebrow stripe).
American robin and varied thrush (very occasional; check book for this),
Bluebirds can stay late or over,
Hermit thrush has robin shape and red tail.
Mourning doves and rock pigeons,
Turkey, pheasant, bobwhite,
Crows, blue jays, ravens may all be near feeders.
Gray jays – white and gray – are found in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Photo needed for this one.
House sparrow (larger than other sparrows, thick bills, gray and brown with white wing bar, white side-throat patch and black bib).
Native sparrows (ground feeders) include the American tree sparrow (red cap, plain breast and black dot in mid-breast),
Dark-eyed junco (gray above, white belly, yellow bill),
White-throated and white-crowned sparrows (these are late stayers).
Song sparrow, swamp sparrow, fox sparrow, eastern towhee – these are other possibilities.
See your bird book.
Lapland longspur (one was seen at Gibson’s feeder in November) are sparrow-like and have white throat patch and eyebrow, streaked breast and belly, mustard-colored collar and cheek patch; rust, black and white in wings, and V-shaped tails with white edging.
Check your book for this species.
The following are northern birds currently found on Washington Island feeding on cones and fruit:
Pine grosbeak (peach to mustard heads, throats and undertail),
Evening grosbeak (much yellow, black and white),
Red crossbill (red or brown with crossed bill, no wing patch),
White-winged crossbill (similar, with two white wing patches).
Check your book! They are all gorgeous birds.
Blackbirds could be present and might include purple (common) grackle, rusty blackbird, brewer’s blackbird, brown-headed cowbird, red-winged blackbird.
Check tail shape, plumage color, eye color, size.
Yellow-rumped, pine, and palm warblers are still found in the state and sometimes come to feeders.
Winter wren, house wren, Carolina wren, and vagrant hummingbirds sometimes come to feeders also.
Photos will help determine and confirm species.
Hawks or a northern shrike (blue jay size, black, white and gray) might try to feed on the birds at your feeder. Most likely the hawks are sharp-shinned (squared-off tail) and Cooper’s (rounded tail tip); they may just dash in and out.
Wishing you much enjoyment!
By Sandy Petersen
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