Arctic Redpoll

A pale, frost-white finch of high Arctic tundra and shrubby birch-willow scrub, it often associates with Common Redpolls in winter flocks that descend to lower latitudes when northern seed crops fail, moving restlessly through weedy fields, alder thickets, and birch stands in search of catkins and small seeds. Look for its distinctly frosty white or pale buff plumage, unmarked or lightly streaked rump, and small red forehead patch, and listen for the dry, rattling *chit-chit-chit* call notes typical of the group. The best opportunities come during irruption winters, roughly November through March, when scan open weedy areas and birch stands in northern or boreal regions for pale individuals standing out noticeably among the darker, more streaked birds in mixed finch flocks.