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Characteristics and Range The Common Redpoll is a small finch with a short yellow bill. Its plumage is largely brownish, with pale, streaked underparts. In adult plumage it shows some red on the forehead—hence its name—and the males have a pink wash underneath, especially during the breeding season. Many Manitobans know this bird as a winter visitor, as it is a frequent guest at feeding stations where it may occur in sizable flocks. The breeding range stretches across North America, from Alaska to Greenland, mainly from near the treeline northwards. It also breeds in Eurasia, with some populations in Europe breeding farther south than those in North America. It winters usually no farther south than the northernmost tier of the conterminous U.S.A., but occasionally as far south as central U.S.A. Southern irruptions are tied primarily to failure of seed-crop-producing trees in the north, which on average occur every second year (Knox and Lowther 2000a). A proposal to lump Common Redpoll and Hoary Redpoll has not yet been accepted (American Ornithological Society 2017).

Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Although confirmed and probable breeding were noted only as far south as the York Factory region, scattered records in central Manitoba, down to ~54°N, indicate that the breeding range likely extends farther south than is shown in most references (Knox and Lowther 2000, The Birds of Manitoba). Common Redpolls were found in about 75% of squares in the Arctic Plains & Mountains and 12% of the Taiga Shield & Hudson Plains. Lower percentages were recorded as far south as the Boreal Taiga Plains. Relative abundance was greatest near the Hudson Bay coast from the Nelson River north and in regions in central northern Manitoba. Areas with highest probability of observation included the above regions, especially the Churchill and Wapusk National Park area and in a band across the top of the province south of the Nunavut land border, but also the region south of Hudson Bay and west of the Ontario border. Few data exist for the northeastern corner of the province, so the mapped probability of observation there may be exaggerated.

The preferred habitat of the Common Redpoll consists of stunted willow, spruce, and alder thickets; north of the treeline the species relies almost exclusively on patches of willow for nesting. At Churchill, early nests are often placed in spruce, later ones in willows and other deciduous species (Jehl 2004).

Trends, Conservation, and Recommendations The Common Redpoll is too northerly a breeder to be well surveyed by the BBS, and even its winter range is only partially sampled by the CBC; hence, very little is known of its population trends. Nonetheless, since the species is considered common throughout its extensive range, and given its noted flexibility in adjusting winter distribution in response to food supply and conditions (Knox and Lowther 2000), it is not currently of conservation concern.

Rudolf F. Koes

Recommended citation: Koes, R. F. 2018. Common Redpoll in Artuso, C., A. R. Couturier, K. D. De Smet, R. F. Koes, D. Lepage, J. McCracken, R. D. Mooi, and P. Taylor (eds.). The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Manitoba, 2010-2014. Bird Studies Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=CORE&lang=en [05 Dec 2024]