Redpolls in gardens

[Guinnessman1974]

Have anyone else had Redpolls in their gardens this year?

I've had 5 this week - 4 females and a male, they are loving the Niger Seed!"

[PaulCorner]

Great photo.
Would love to see Redpolls in the garden! Whereabouts in the country was this?
Did have the Sparrowhawk back yesterday, but he didn't stay long enough for me to get the camera.

[Johnny81]

I have never seen a Redpoll let alone have one visit my garden!

[Guinnessman1974]

I live in Bridgnorth, Shropshire.

I'm thinking of buying more Niger seed and another feeder today. While the two birds were on the feeder, other Redpolls were queuing up to get in on the action.

[Richard G.]

Aye, once they've found you
I'm overrun with them again this year. 20-25 at a time, smashing little bird though

[earthdragon64]

I saw one in my garden in January 2010 for 2 days running, one was during the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, then I saw one in the garden one day earlier this month.

Regards, Audrey.

[Guinnessman1974]

Are the common Redpolls called 'Lesser' Redpolls then?

I'm a bit confused - as in the Collins Bird ID book, they only mention 'Common' Redpoll, however the RSPB site mentions 'Lesser' and Mealy' (which are also called ''Common' even though they are less 'common' than 'Lessers'!)

There's also an Arctic Redpoll too!

[JeffH]

Funnily enough we had our very first Redpoll (Common) in the garden this morning - at least it was the first one we've seen

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls & Avocets)

[Guinnessman1974]

Are your 'Common' Redpolls (i.e. Mealy) Redpolls therefore a different species from the Lesser Redpolls in my Gardens?

Has anyone seen an Arctic Redpoll

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Guinnessman1974

Are the common Redpolls called 'Lesser' Redpolls then?

I'm a bit confused - as in the Collins Bird ID book, they only mention 'Common' Redpoll, however the RSPB site mentions 'Lesser' and Mealy' (which are also called ''Common' even though they are less 'common' than 'Lessers'!)

There's also an Arctic Redpoll too!

Redpoll taxonomy is a little bit undecided at the momment.

"Redpoll" and "Arctic Redpoll" have previously been treated as different species, but other redpolls have been treated as different subspecies of "Common Redpoll".
Many authorities (including the British Ornithologists Union) now treat Lesser Redpoll as a separate species (previously the 'caberet' race of Common Redpoll), and this is the species/race that is most numerous in the UK.
Not all authorities, or field guide authors, have adopted this "split" though - including the authors of the Collins guide who have left Lesser Redpoll as 'Carduelis flammea caberet', ie. a subspecies of Common Redpoll.


Common Redpolls (of which there are still several different races, even if Lesser Redpoll is treated as a separate species), are usually scarce passage/winter visitors to the UK. Only the pale 'flammea' race from Scandinavia is normally known as "Mealy Redpoll".

Just to confuse things even more, there have been suggestions that other races of Common Redpoll should also be treated as separate species, and some consider Arctic Redpolls to be best treated as two different species as well (Scandiavian or Coues's Arctic Redpoll and Hornemanns Arctic Redpoll)!

Originally Posted by Guinnessman1974

Has anyone seen an Arctic Redpoll

Yes, but not recently - and not as a garden visitor!