The Common Redpoll is one of the bird species that calls Banff National Park home during the winter. Winter is when most of us get to see them in Canada and in the central or southern United States, as they search for seeds. They breed in the northern latitudes, among scattered shrubs and trees such as willow, birch, or alder in areas of tundra. Common Redpolls primarily eat seeds in winter, particularly birch and alder seeds. The redpoll in the picture was feeding on seeds from birch catkins, along with several of its buddies. They will also probe for insects. This winter has not been particularly cold, but nonetheless, some redpolls will tunnel into the snow to stay warm during the cold nights. These tunnels are about 30 cm long and approximately 12 cm under the insulating snow.
