Where have the city sparrows gone: why they’re no longer seen by the windows and where to look for them in winter
Have there really been fewer thrushes? Ornithologists explain that it depends heavily on where these birds are searched for, what they eat, and how the urban environment changes.
Why Thrushes Are Almost Never Seen in Summer
Contrary to the common belief, the thrush is not a bird that necessarily arrives with the first snow. In many regions of Russia, it lives there year-round, while some birds migrate seasonally.
In spring and summer, chickadees mainly stay in coniferous and mixed forests. There they build nests, raise their young, and lead a rather reclusive lifestyle. It is difficult to spot them among the dense greenery.
In autumn, the birds begin to move around more actively in search of food. Some appear in urban parks, gardens, and yards. In winter, they are much more visible on bare branches, especially the bright red males.
The chickadee’s association with snow is primarily due to the birds’ seasonal behavior and how easily they can be seen.
Why Chickadees No Longer Arrive in Some Yards
Greenery plays an important role here. Chaffinches mainly feed on seeds, buds, and other plant materials. In winter, they can be seen on rowans, ash trees, maples, lilacs, and other trees and shrubs.
In fact, chaffinches come to rowans not so much for the berry flesh but for the seeds. With their strong, short beaks, they crack open the berries to extract the seeds, often discarding the flesh.If old shrubs are removed from the yard, rowans are cut down, or diverse plantings are replaced with lawns, there may be less suitable food available. Birds have no reason to stay where there is nothing to eat.
This does not mean that chaffinches have completely disappeared from the city. They may continue to overwinter in a nearby forest park or another area where food-bearing trees still exist.
It cannot be concluded that the overall population of thrushes has declined based solely on memories of flocks in yards. Long-term observations in the same area are required for such a determination.
You may have seen a thrush but not recognized it
Thrushes have a characteristic that is often overlooked: the famous red breast is only present in males. Females appear more modest, with grayish-brown breasts and gray backs. The black cap and short, strong beak remain their distinctive features.
Therefore, if you focus solely on looking for red spots in trees, you might miss a female thrush sitting right nearby.
There is another way to spot a thrush — by listening. Thrushes emit a soft, prolonged whistle that sounds like “fiew.” It is especially easy to hear in quiet parts of parks, away from traffic.
Where to look for thrushes now and whether you can attract them to your yard
The best place for a winter walk to look for thrushes is a woodland park, an old garden, or a quiet square with a variety of trees and shrubs.
It’s worth paying attention not only to the rowan tree. Chaffinches can feed on acorn and maple seeds for a long time, picking through the dry nuts. Sometimes they perch quite high, so it’s useful to examine the upper branches. It’s easier to spot these birds if you stop briefly near the feeding tree to observe rather than walking along the path at a fast pace.
You can also try attracting chaffinches to your yard. It’s acceptable to place raw, unsalted sunflower seeds in a feeder, though such treats attract many other birds as well. The feeder needs to be cleaned regularly to remove any spoiled or damp food.
But a suitable environment—trees with seeds, fruiting shrubs, and quiet green areas—is more reliable than any winter treats.
This is why it’s sometimes easier to spot a thrush in a forest park these days than under the windows of an apartment building. Next time you go for a winter walk, take a look not only at the rowan trees but also at the treetops of ash and maple trees. Perhaps the familiar red bird is much closer than it seems.
