PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Birders in the mid-Atlantic area are thrilled that a finch which hasn't been seen since the early '90s is back.
Holly Merker is the lead coordinator for eBird, an online database from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the lead data reviewer for Pennsylvania. She says the evening grosbeak was first spotted in Southeastern Pennsylvania a few weeks ago.
"They started showing up in small but good numbers, really, compared to how they have been, small groups and flocks," she said. "People around our region are reporting 10 to 12 coming to their bird feeders. They love those platform feeders, so a flat, open feeder."
The evening grosbeak is larger than a cardinal but smaller than a robin.
"Dapper looking, with golden eyebrows for the males. Really striking, black and whitewing patches," Merker described. "The females aren't as dapper looking, they're a little bit less diffuse, with gray and a golden neck collar."
Merker said the evening grosbeak hasn't been around because it's been living in abundance in Canada, and feeding on spruce pine cones.
"When we have them in Pennsylvania, if they come, they're usually in the northern tier of our state, versus coming this far south, and just exceedingly rare, just delighting birders everywhere because we haven't seen this phenomenon happen in so long," she said.
According to Merker, the birds reproduced so successfully in Canada, that they caused a shortage of pine cone seeds, and that's why they are now moving south. She expects the evening grosbeak will be around for at least a few more weeks, if not more.
"I expect with the next cold snap, we're going to get even more passing through. So this phenomenon will probably last for several more weeks or we could see it happening through the winter months."
Despite being a seasoned birder, Merker said she's still excited to see the evening grosbeak up close.
"Even I just had my first ever come to my bird feeder two days ago and it was just a thrill," she shared.
