Winter Gems

With raspberry-red feathers, pine grosbeaks cheer up chilly landscapes wherever they land

- KAITLIN STAINBROOK

As the cold settles in, backyards quiet down.

But just when you think you're familiar with all your winter feeder visitors, a flock of pine grosbeaks flies into town. These birds tend to be sweet and approachable, and they aren't easily scared off by nearby humans. They're so well-known for their slow, sluggish behavior that people in Newfoundland have nicknamed the birds “mopes.”

Like other northern bird species, such as redpolls and snowy owls, pine grosbeaks move south if their source of food is in short supply, in a type of irregular, seasonal migration called irruption.

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