Birding During the Winter Season

By Sarah Gotwols Moran, Lancaster Conservancy Volunteer Coordinator & Lancaster County Bird Club Board Member

Despite the chill in the air and the dimming daylight hours, there is still a cacophony of activity and song to experience in the frosty meadows and leafless trees of our natural spaces. Birding in the winter can be a gratifying experience, given more visibility in the otherwise dense forests and shrub lines to observe a variety of songbirds and tree-dwellers. Exposed areas of grasslands and meadows are perfect for catching raptors on the hunt. A rush of activity can also be seen at bird feeders and in native gardens, especially during cold snaps or inclement weather as the birds appreciate taking full advantage of readily available nuts, seeds, berries, and insects hiding in the bark or stems of deciduous trees and perennial plants.

Commonly seen birds in both wild spaces and at feeders include the brilliantly red-colored northern cardinal and boldly patterned blue jay, as well as less vibrant versions of the eastern bluebird and American goldfinch. There are also several species of songbirds that call our local areas their wintering ground, including dark-eyed juncos, white-crowned sparrows, and purple finches. Woodpeckers and nuthatches are abundantly apparent during this time of year due to the lack of leaf cover. Chickadees and tufted titmice will forage busily, while bald eagles and black vultures cruise the sky and waterfowl such as common mergansers and Canada geese gather on the Susquehanna River and in surrounding wetlands.

There are also other, less commonly noted birds that you may need to search a little more closely for in our natural spaces. Perhaps they are bustling through the brambles or along the banks of creeks and streams or plucking the bark of old-growth trees or searching for mammals in more open spaces. Venturing out on trails and preserves or even right out your back door, you’ll discover a host of feathered friends perched keenly and heartily singing their winter songs, bringing tidings of good cheer for the weeks ahead.

Here are a few birds to keep an eye and ear out for as you enjoy the winter season outdoors:

Golden-crowned kinglet

This is one of the tiniest birds that can be found flicking its wings and bouncing from branch to branch in thickets and coniferous trees that provide protection from predators and harsh elements. Their namesake feature is a bright center crown of orange on the top of the head, with whitish wing bars and a gray stripe across the face. They make a thin, higher pitched “ti-ti-ti” sound. You may find this bird at Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve. 

Brown creeper

This elusive tree climber is a master of disguise! They are a streaked brown color that blends perfectly into a variety of tree barks. Thanks to the evolution of an exceptionally long rear toe, they can creep up and down trunks and branches – it’s like watching a piece of bark come to life! Brown creepers also have a lighter underbelly and white throat, and make a high-pitched “tsee” or tinkling, descending warble. You may find this bird at Kellys Run Nature Preserve.

Yellow-bellied sapsucker

A relative of the woodpeckers of our area, sapsuckers will feed similarly on insects and the cambium (flesh) of trees, drilling holes around a trunk or branch to create sap wells that attract bugs for easy feeding. They have a mottled black and white body with a striped face, a lightish yellow tinge to the underbelly, and a noticeable red throat on the male. These birds will often remain very quiet during winter months, aside from the percussive drumming sounds during foraging activity. You may find this bird at Clark Nature Preserve.

Winter wren

This stout, jovial bird is smaller than typical house wrens and is much darker in color than the closely related Carolina wren. Winter wrens have short tails and a round, stout body. Often secretive, this wren can be found in and among fallen logs on the forest floor and picking along roots on the banks of creeks and streams. They have a lovely varied and rapid series of musical trills and chatters that will draw your attention to this otherwise unseen bird of the woods! You may find this bird at Trout Run Nature Preserve.

If you’re unable to fully explore nature outdoors or busy holiday plans keep you from adventuring, tune in to the Bird Cam livestream on the Lancaster Conservancy’s YouTube channel! There you can gain up-close access to a variety of feathered and furry visitors feasting on the winter buffet of suet and seed. Bonus – it’s also a great chance to sharpen your bird identification skills in preparation for the warmer seasons ahead.