You have been watching and waiting every day, coffee in hand, scanning the trees and filling your feeders and watering stations. Something is definetly off. All the fall chickadees are missing, and the cardinals who used to greet the mornings are gone. Day after day the backyard is getting more and more silent. Where have all the birds gone?
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Check PriceHere’s the thing—they probably didn’t fly to Mexico. They possibly just relocated a few blocks over.
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Reason Your Bird Feeders Have Gone Silent
Most people imagine the migration of birds as a dramatic crossing over the Gulf of Mexico for warblers, or a slick gliding down the thermal currents of a mountain range for hawks, or even shorebirds that cannot stop for days. However, there is a different kind of migration taking place all through the winter that is going on in your very own neighborhood. We may not see it, but it is just as real.
Birds take advantage of opportunities. Even birds we think are “year-round residents” do not remain in one location all winter. They constantly move based on what food is available, the weather, and other birds. Sometimes a good backyard for birds in October is not a good backyard in January. This can happen when one of the neighbors has an oak tree that has a lot of newly available acorns or when your bird seed supply goes dry.
This type of movement is referred to as short-distance migration, or, in some instances, nomadic behavior, and it occurs continuously. Your birds have not left the area – they have simply relocated in search of better resources. The silver lining? You have the ability to draw them back.
The Backyard Birds That Never Really Left (They Just Relocated Next Door)
Commonly referred to as "non-migratory" birds, cardinals, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, and downy woodpeckers, are not homebodies by any means. These birds adjust their winter ranges based on resource availability and changes in competition.
For instance, a Carolina chickadee might have a winter range of several acres. If your neighbor puts out fresh black oil sunflower seed and you leave your feeder empty for a week, guess where that chickadee is? Birds remember dependable food sources, and when food is scarce during winter, they will visit those feeders more.
Cardinals have specific requirements for the safety and quality of food provided to them. If a feeding area is out in the open with no cover, predatory birds will cause the cardinals to choose a feeding area down the street instead. They might even choose a different yard in the same neighborhood.
The daily territories of some non-migrating birds may shift by more than a quarter mile, and what looks like disappearance is often just relocation of daily activity due to environmental variables. If you keep your yard welcoming and continued stocking your feeders, those resident birds will come back when the environmental variables tip back in your favor.
Comprehending Altitudinal and Irruptive Migration in Your Area
Winter movement is not only about horizontal movement. Some of the most fascinating avian activities occur in the vertical dimension.
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Birds are sometimes known to migrate altitudinally. This is a fancy way to say that they are moving down the mountains during the winter. Do you remember the dark-eyed junco, pine siskins, or the sparrows that you saw this summer at the breeding altitudes? Well, they will all be at the valley and lowlands by your home in the winter, as their food sources get covered by snow and ice. Species that live at high altitudes will be descending to your habitat. They are not traveling long distances. Expect many of these birds to enter your area in the fall.
Next are irruptive migrations. These migrations are a little more unpredictable, and a little more exciting than the previous examples. Irruptive migrations take place when food sources in the north are lacking. During years where the spruce cones, birch seeds, and rowan berries become scarce throughout Canada and the northern U.S., we see the phenomenon of mass movement of Grosbeaks, redpolls, crossbills, and evening grosbeaks move southward in search of food.
These events happen irregularly. For example, you may go five winters without seeing a common redpoll and then one winter see dozens at your feeders. While you cannot predict this occurrence, when it happens, it turns your backyard into a winter birding hotspot.
Altitudinal and irruptive movements show us winter birds’ populations are not stagnant. Your yard can host an entirely different cast of characters from one year to the next.
How to Attract Birds to Your Yard This Winter
There are a few strategic changes you can make to encourage activity at your feeders again.
The best type of food to offer birds is black oil sunflower seeds as they tend to attract a variety of backyard birds. When feeding woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches, add suet. Thistle is a good food option for feeding finches and juncos. It is best to maintain consistency in order for birds to trust a food source. During severe weather, birds will appreciate your food offerings more.
Offer fresh water. It's way more difficult to find water than food in the winter. When natural water sources freeze, birds love heated birdbaths. You will also attract birds that normally don't come to your feeders.
Provide cover and shelter. Birds need places to escape predators and the weather. Winter habitats are vital and are offered with dense plantings, brush piles, and evergreen shrubs. If your yard is open and exposed, birds will go feed elsewhere.
Plan for winter interest. Native plants that retain seeds, berries, or cones into winter provide food that sustains birds in your area longer. Great options include coneflowers, sunflowers, winterberry, and native grasses.
Reducing Window Strikes. A lovely yard can lose its charm if birds are getting hurt in collisions with your windows. You can add window decals, screens, or strategically placed feeders to reduce collisions.
The smallest of details can make a big impact. With a little food and water, your winter bird shelter will be a safe refuge for birds, and word will spread quickly in the bird community.
What To Look Forward To When Spring Arrives
With the increasing warmth and longer days, the type of birds in your yard will change again. The juncos and white-throated sparrows that spent the entire winter at your feeders will leave and go north and upslope to breed. You may notice the cardinals and chickadees that seemed to have been absent for the entire winter suddenly appear and claim nesting territories.
With spring comes long-distance migrants like orioles, tanagers, warblers, and hummingbirds. Unlike most birds migrating through, these birds will stop and nest in your yard if it has the right habitat. The resources you provided during winter to attract birds are now going to support the birds nesting in your yard.
Notice the shift in behavior. Territorial aggression will develop between previously amicable birds at feeders. Increased song activity is noted. Courtship displays commence. Your yard will change from a mere survival station and transform into a nursery.
It is also time to wash and restock your feeders, clean birdbaths, and nest boxes. An early spring clean yard prepares for a whole season of singing and fledging activity.
Migration is not a singular event. It's a rhythm that moves through the space for food, changing weather, and to the needs of the birds. Once you observe the movements of birds, you will change how see your yard.
Happy birding!
