American Tree Sparrows : Winter Visitors
One of New England’s common winter visitors from the far northern tundra is the American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea), often spotted in large flocks in weedy, snow-covered fields moving from one spot to another as they feed.. These seed-eating sparrows are known to beat weeds with their wings and then fly to the surface of the snow beneath the weeds to retrieve seeds they have caused to fall.
Their common name is a misnomer, for American Tree Sparrows feed on the ground and often breed and nest on the ground above the treeline. They apparently reminded European settlers of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus), a cavity-nesting bird which has very different habits than the American Tree Sparrow.
In part because of the loss of weedy old fields and other open habitats, the American Tree Sparrow population has declined by 53% over the last 50 years. Even so, they are a common sight during the winter in fields, on road sides and at feeders throughout the northern half of the United States.
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Horned Larks Seeking Seeds
Horned Larks are named for the dark feathers near the back of their head that sometimes become erect and resemble horns. During the winter, these birds typically form large flocks which often include Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings. Horned Larks are usually found in fields where the snow has blown the ground bare, but they can also be found hunting and pecking on manure and silage piles. As they walk or run along the ground foraging for seeds on bare ground, these brown-backed birds are very well camouflaged (not so much on snow). There is a wide variation of shades of brown back feathers throughout their range, and researchers have found that their color is strongly correlated with the color of the local soil.
Horned Larks nest on prairies, deserts and agricultural land throughout much of the U.S., as well as the Arctic tundra. In another month, most of the Horned Larks overwintering in northern New England will migrate north.
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