THE WINTER BIRD-LIFE OF MINNESOTA* 



THE question is frequently asked, "How 

 many kinds of birds may be looked for in 

 Minnesota in the winter season?" and this 

 query is almost as often supplemented by the 

 remark, "Not very many, I suppose." It is the 

 object of this paper to present for the informa- 

 tion of such interested persons a brief 'outline of 

 the winter bird-life of our state. Minnesota em- 

 braces such a large area and is so situated with 

 reference to established life-zones that there is a 

 great difference in both the flora and fauna in 

 various parts of the state. Thus, the birds of 

 the northern evergreen portion differ quite 

 markedly from those of the southern deciduous- 

 tree area; and the prairies and coteaux of the 

 western part possess a number of birds not found 

 in the eastern wooded region. These differences 

 are much more conspicuous in the summer inhab- 

 itants, but still they are noticeable in the winter 

 bird-life also, so that in a list of the birds of the 

 whole state it is necessary, for a clear under- 

 standing, to give the place as well as the manner 

 of their occurrence. This will be done in a brief 

 note accompanying each species. By reason of 

 the large number of persons specially interested 

 in the birds of the vicinity of the Twin Cities, it 

 has been deemed advisable to designate those 

 that may be looked for in Hennepin and Rainsey 

 counties by an asterisk creiixed to the name. 



The much greater abundance and attractiveness 

 of birds in the summer season is very apt to en- 

 tirely absorb the attention of the casual observer 

 and lead to the almost complete neglect of our 

 winter birds; especially as the latter are greatly 

 diminished in numbers, comparatively silent, and 

 largely shielded from observation by the many 

 drawbacks to outdoor investigation at that time. 

 But because they do not force themselves upon 

 our attention in winter as they do in summer we 

 ought not to conclude either that there are no 

 birds present, or that they are of little interest. 

 The fact is, that while they are generally far from 

 abundant in the cold season, particularly in re- 

 spect to individuals, there are yet a goodly num- 

 ber of species to be found within the limits of the 



*This article was prepai-ed at the request of Mr. Carlos 

 Avery, Commissioner of the Minnesota State Department of 

 Fish and Game, and was published as here presented, with 

 the exception of the colored plate and general summary, in 

 No. 4 of "Fins. Feathers and Fur," the official organ of that 

 Department. 



State, and among these no lover of birds can 

 fail to find a number that are of much more than 

 average interest. 



The only opportunity to become acquainted 

 with the handsome and little-known Evening 

 Grosbeak, its relative the Pine Grosbeak, the ele- 

 gant northern Waxwing, or the more common 

 but little less interesting Red-poll Linnet. Snow 

 Bunting and Lapland Longspur, is during their 

 sojourn here as visitors from their far northern 

 summer homes. Then too, the greatly altered 

 conditions under which all our birds must live 

 during the season of cold and snow present an 

 entirely new field for study and observation. An 

 acquaintance with the needs and habits of these 

 birds during the time of their greatest stress will 

 make it possible for those so inclined to do much 

 to assist and protect them by furnishing suitable 

 shelter and food. 



So the winter-time has its peculiar rewards, its 

 delights and its satisfactions for the bird student, 

 though it is true the difficulties to be overcome 

 are much greater and the harvest much less 

 abundant than in the ricli and glorious spring 

 and summer time. 



The economic value of most of the winter 

 birds is very great. In their incessant search for 

 food during the long cold season they uncon- 

 sciously do an immense service for man. The 

 Woodpeckers are vigorously digging out the bor- 

 ers in the trees and shrubs; the Chickadees, Nut- 

 hatches and Creepers are busily devouring the in- 

 sect eggs and larvae concealed in the crevices of 

 the bark on trunk and branch; the Sparrows are 

 destroying tons of seeds of noxious weeds; and 

 the Owls and Hawks are killing ofT the destruct- 

 ive rabbits, hares, red squirrels and mice. It is 

 true that some of these saine Owls and Hawks 

 are at the same time destroying not a few Grouse, 

 Quail and valuable non-game birds, but it has 

 been clearly shown that with only two or three 

 exceptions the balance is largely in their favor. 

 It is probable that the winter birds, as a whole, 

 are a more valuable asset to the state than a 

 corresponding number in the summer season, as 

 the kind of food most of them are forced to take 

 results in a specially great benefit to the farmer 

 and horticulturist. 



There are in round numbers 300 species of 

 birds, with some 10 or 12 sub-species, occurring 

 in Minnesota. Of these, 85 species and S sub- 



