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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Pine grosbeaks appearing in area

Marshall Helmberger
Posted 10/28/20

REGIONAL— Based on a number of reports across northern St. Louis and Lake counties, it appears that pine grosbeaks are back in the area in greater numbers than last winter. That’s good …

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Pine grosbeaks appearing in area

Posted

REGIONAL— Based on a number of reports across northern St. Louis and Lake counties, it appears that pine grosbeaks are back in the area in greater numbers than last winter. That’s good news for area birders, who missed these spectacular birds at winter feeders last year.
The annual finch forecast out of Canada, which had accurately predicted last year’s pine grosbeak drought in locations to the south of their breeding territory, had predicted much the same this winter as a result of another abundant crop of mountain ash berries.
Pine grosbeaks typically spend five-to-six months of the year in northern Minnesota, where they frequent feeders that offer black sunflower seeds. They move just north of the border, into northwestern Ontario, beginning in March, then return to Minnesota by mid-October— unless abundant foods on their breeding range allow them to winter in their breeding range.
Pine grosbeaks, like most northern finches, are extremely hardy and can easily survive harsh weather as long as they have ready access to food.
While the annual finch forecast is typically highly accurate, it is designed to predict broad movements of finches across all of Canada and the northern United States. Yet local food conditions can vary, notes Steve Wilson, of Tower, a longtime ornithologist. “The finch forecast did make note of that,” he said. In the case of northern Minnesota, even minor movements of grosbeaks to the south would be enough to bring at least some into the region— as appears to be happening now.
Wilson notes that almost all the reports of pine grosbeaks hit the Ely Field Naturalists email listserve last Saturday, which suggests the significant numbers of birds headed south based on some kind of phenological event. “I’d love to know what drives those kinds of movements,” said Wilson.
While the pine grosbeaks appear to be showing up more or less on time in the region, Wilson said that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a good year for grosbeak numbers. The grosbeak population, as is the case with most northern finches, can fluctuate significantly from year to year.
The birds are, however, showing up earlier than usual at feeders. They often spend a month or more eating natural foods in the forest, and don’t start showing up at feeders until mid-to-late November. “It is interesting that they’re showing up at feeders this early,” said Wilson.