As it grows colder, these eight birds are coming to your bird feeders
As the weather grows colder and birds begin migrating south, here are eight birds that Wichita will start seeing again. To attract these birds to your yard this fall and winter, put birdseed, especially black oil sunflower seeds, in bird feeders and provide water.
Water, especially when it’s subfreezing, is oftentimes a better attractant than food is,” said Bob Gress, former director of the Great Plains Nature Center. “Even the small amount of water in a birdbath is just irresistible to lots and lots of birds.”
Avoid putting out bread, crackers and human food for birds or putting antifreeze in water for the birds, as it can be hazardous for the birds’ health, according to Gress.
Red-breasted Nuthatch
With short tails and no neck, the tiny, compact Red-breasted Nuthatch steals nesting material from other birds and chases birds much larger than them away from potential nesting areas.
“Red-breasted NutHatches are cute little snorts,” Gress said. “They’re reporting them all over the state, and I had one in my yard here in north Wichita just the other day. They join our White-breasted Nuthatches, which are already here and nested here.”
Five Types of Sparrow
The Harris’s Sparrow is returning to Kansas from the taiga, or snow forest, region of Canada, according to Gress. The brown and black-streaked birds have a black bib and in winter, there are more of these birds found in south-central Kansas than anywhere else in the world.
“They’re pretty easily attracted to black oil sunflower seed, and they do not feed in the feeders, but on the ground under the feeders,” Gress said. “It always helps to throw, especially on snowy days, some seed on the ground under the feeders.”
Weighing about as much as an AA battery, the chunky red-brown and gray Song Sparrow will be returning to the state alongside the Lincoln Sparrow. The brown and buff-colored Lincoln’s Sparrow often sports a brown mohawk of sorts. The females prefer male mates who can sing for them during cold mornings.
The chunky ball-shaped Spotted Towhee has a jet black upper part and head but is often mistaken for a robin because they sport a red under-breast. They’re known for their two-footed backward-scratching hop, where they scratch the ground to uncover seeds and bugs to eat.
“They like yards that have thick vegetation and lots of shrubbery that offer protection,” Gress said. “A brush pile is just a sure delight for them.”
Dark-eyed Juncos, sometimes referred to as “snowbirds” for their habit of showing up during winter and leaving in spring, have a dark grey body, white belly, and pink bill. They’re one of the most common birds in North America, and their range expands over the entire continent.
Blue Jays
Perhaps one of the most easily identifiable birds, Blue Jays, are found in Kansas all year long, but the Blue Jays in winter are not the ones here in the summer.
“The birds that nest here, they take off and go farther south,” Gress said. “Those birds that are way up north migrate down to this area, and they spend the winter here. We’ve always got Blue Jays around, but right now, the Blue Jays are in big numbers.”
American Goldfinch
During spring and summer, the American Goldfinch sports a bright yellow coat and lives primarily in the Kansas countryside. Still, in the winter, they return to backyard feeders with muted tones. They are strict vegetarians and only eat the occasional insect on accident.
“Some people don’t recognize them as much at this time of year because they go through a molt, and they’re mostly brown with black wings during the winter months,” Gress said. “They’re here in the summertime, but they switch their diet to insects, and they move out into the country.”
