A male downy woodpecker perches on a birdfeeder. Photo by: Ellen Smith

House finches, a junco, and a female cardinal frequently visit birdfeeders. Photo by: Ellen Smith

A male red-bellied woodpecker looks up from feeding. Photo by: Ellen Smith

Juncos, titmice, and flickers.  Believe it or not, these are the names of some common Indiana birds.  In the heart of winter, it is normal to see songbirds flocking around neighborhood bird feeders, chattering in the trees or perching on telephone wires.  Winter is a time when many people open their wallets and their backyards to the birds.  However, not many know about the the hobby at all.  Bird feeding is a little-known hobby that is very fun and rewarding.

In wintertime, many species of birds travel south, so they do not have to weather the harsher conditions.  The birds seen now are the ones who do not migrate, and have adapted to be able to handle the much colder conditions of winter.  However, as people continue to invade the habitats of local species, many birds are urbanizing.  Urbanization has one drawback-a lack of food.  This is why bird feeding is a very beneficial hobby, for the birds and for the feeder of them as well. 

There are a wide variety of songbirds in the Plymouth area.  One of the most common ones to be seen is the cardinal.  Cardinals are small, bright red birds with a crested head and black face mask.  Cardinals are the state bird of Indiana, and are also one of the most recognizable songbirds because of their bright hue.  Blue jays are also very easy to spot at a bird feeder.  Their large size, striking shades of blue and harsh call are all noticeable traits.  Blue jays have a crest, with black barring and patches of white on the wings and tail.  Barring is a striping of color.  Jays are raucous, aggressive birds that often chase down their smaller relatives.  Tufted titmice tend to visit local feeders too. Like the blue jay and cardinal, it has a crested head.  A titmouse is an earthy gray in color, with a white breast.  It is one of the smallest songbirds.  Goldfinches, normally brilliant gold, but dull yellow in color for winter, are a common bird to see. Goldfinches have black and white wings.  Juncos are small, dark birds that are mainly ground feeders.  These shy birds will mainly eat any seed that has fallen from the feeder itself. Chickadees are very small songbirds with a black and white bi-color head. All small songbirds are known for their short, blunt wings. However, songbirds are not the only kind of bird to visit Plymouth bird feeders. 

Woodpeckers are also visitors to local bird feeders in the wintertime.  One of the most frequent woodpecker visitors is the downy woodpecker.  This woodpecker is the size of a songbird, but is beautifully feathered black and white.  Red bellied woodpeckers frequently pay visits as well.  This large woodpecker has black and white barred wings, a red read and a red belly.  Their long, pointy beaks are perfect for burrowing into the bark of a tree, but this woodpecker still comes to feeders for birdseed often. 

The colors of species of birds usually vary by gender.  Male cardinals may be bright red, but females are a dull brown in color, tinged with red on the wings, crest and tail. The crest is a raised patch of feathers on a cardinal’s head. House finches vary by gender too.  Female house finches are also earthy toned, but males sport a reddish purple breast.  Male downy woodpeckers have a small red cap on the back of their head.  Females are generally more camouflaged than the males, because they sit on their nests and are more exposed.  Therefore, blending in is vital to their survival. 

Bird feeders come in many different shapes and sizes.  Platforms, hoppers, and tube feeders are the most common ones to choose from.  Bird feeders are generally used only in the wintertime, when food is harder to come by.  An important rule among all bird feeders is that once they begin to feed birds, they must continue to do so until winter is over.  Birds become reliant on being fed, and in the tough times of winter it can be fatal if a main food source is lost.  There are many different types of seed to purchase as well.  One of the most widely available food is sunflower seeds.  Sunflower seeds can be bought with or without the shell.  However, shelled seed is more expensive.  Birdseed can attract more than birds though. 

With bird feeding can come pests.  The most common invader of a neighborhood bird feeder is the innocent-looking squirrel.  It may be tempting to simply let squirrels come and go as they please, but this is a money-wasting habit.  Squirrels consume much more birdseed than songbirds and make feeders a mess.  In general, it is a good rule of thumb to not allow squirrels in a feeder.  There are a variety of squirrel stoppers available to help solve the problem.  Predators can be pests to a bird feeder.  In more urban environments, cats may stalk the feeder, but in more rural areas, hawks can cause issues as well.  Red tailed hawks will sometimes perch in nearby trees, camouflaged, and dive on unknowing birds.  That is why many species like the goldfinch turn duller colors for the winter.  They want to blend in as well.   The more rural a home is, the better chance wild turkeys or opossums will hang around.  It is important to be prepared for other wildlife besides birds at a feeder. 

Once and a while, there will be some rare birds that will stop by bird feeders. One possible visitor to get is a flicker.  The yellow shafted flicker is a large woodpecker.  This brown woodpecker is barred on its wings and spotted on the underside.  Flickers have a small red crescent on the back of their heads.  Another rare bird to be seen is the pileated woodpecker.  Pileated woodpeckers are very large birds, almost crow-size.  Pileated woodpeckers have dominantly black plumage, with a red crested cap and white detailing.   

Bird feeding is a very rewarding hobby that does not take much work.  Filling a feeder with seed will give hours of fascination with these beautiful songbirds that are so rarely seen.  Friends will be impressed by the hobby.  There are species that can be identified, rare birds to marvel at, and so many ways to make bird feeding the perfect hobby.