Common Redpoll

Carduelis flammeaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Finches (Fringillidae)

Codes: Common Name: CORE Scientific Name: CARFLA ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179230

Common Redpoll: The breeding male Common Redpoll has a red cap, black chin, brown streaked upperparts, bright rose-pink breast, brown streaked flanks and undertail coverts

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Common Redpoll: Small finch, brown-streaked gray upperparts, bright rose-pink breast, boldly streaked flanks and undertail coverts. Red cap and black chin. Bill is olive-brown with fine black tip. Wings are dark with two narrow white bars; tail is black and notched. Black legs, feet.

Range and Habitat

Common Redpoll: Breeds from Alaska and northern Quebec, south to British Columbia, Newfoundland, and Magdalen Islands. Spends winters irregularly south to California, Oklahoma, and the Carolinas; also found in Eurasia. Inhabits open subarctic areas, largely coniferous forests and scrub; avoids dense forests. Winters on brushy pastures, open thickets, and weedy fields.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"chit-chit-chit-chit", "swe-ee-et"

Interesting Facts

During the long Arctic night, redpolls sleep in snow tunnels to preserve body heat.

Although not considered a migratory bird, one of these birds, bearing a band with Chinese markings, was captured in Norway, having traveled over 4000 miles.

Several Redpolls have been seen on a twig feeding each other by passing a seed from bill to bill.

A group of redpolls are collectively known as a "gallup" of redpolls.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Related Birds

Pine Siskin
House Finch
Purple Finch
Cassin's Finch
Red Crossbill
Hoary Redpoll

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Common Redpoll

● Song: "chit-chit-chit-chit", "swe-ee-et"

● Foraging & Feeding: Common Redpoll: Eats seeds and insects; forages chickadee-like, clinging to branch tips and weed tops for seeds, mainly from birches, alders, willows, and weeds. Also forages on the ground; reported to enter holes in snow to find food when vegetation is covered.

● Breeding & nesting: Common Redpoll: Four to seven green or blue green eggs, with purple or red brown spots concentrated at larger end, are laid in a nest made of moss, feathers, plant material, and animal fur lined with twigs and grass, and hidden in dense low shrubs or rock crevices. Incubation ranges from 10 to 11 days and is carried out by the female. Young stay in nest 9 to14 days and are fed mostly by the female; have one or two broods per year.

● Similar species: Common Redpoll: Hoary Redpoll is paler and has smaller bill and faint streaks on rump, sides, and flanks. Hoary Redpoll breast is paler pink and restricted to sides.

Flight Pattern

Moves relentlessly in undulating flight, with series of rapid wing beats alternating with brief periods of wings pulled to sides.

Common Redpoll Breeding Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Common Redpoll: Breeds from Alaska and northern Quebec, south to British Columbia, Newfoundland, and Magdalen Islands. Spends winters irregularly south to California, Oklahoma, and the Carolinas; also found in Eurasia. Inhabits open subarctic areas, largely coniferous forests and scrub; avoids dense forests. Winters on brushy pastures, open thickets, and weedy fields.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester, Loose colonies

^PopulationFairly common

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight0.5 Ounces

Perching-like Body

Undertail coverts

Small feathers that cover the areas where the retrices (tail feathers) attach to the rump.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Cap

The area on top of the head of the bird.

Chin

The area of the face just below the bill.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Common Redpoll

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Range and Habitat

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

Interesting Facts

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Related Birds

Common Redpoll

Flight Pattern