the black goby ( gobius niger ) is a species of ray-finned fish found in the eastern atlantic and mediterranean sea and black sea .

it inhabits estuaries , lagoons , and inshore water over seagrass and algae .

it feeds on a variety of invertebrates and sometimes small fish .

this species can also be found in the aquarium trade .

this fish reaches a maximum length of 18 centimetres ( 7 in ) tl .

this fish 's neck is scaled and both of its dorsal fins have a black spot on the front end .

black goby

black & white clown goby , . 5
- 1
, western pacific
the black - lined sleeper goby is white with two black to orange stripes on the head and body . there is a white - edged black spot on the first dorsal fin .
the black goby is known from the black sea and the mediterranean as well as from the atlantic coasts from mauritania to norway and the baltic sea .
this species can be confused with the rock goby as the two species are similar in size and colour , however the rock goby lives in rocky areas whereas the black goby prefers sand and mud .
the limited run brush arrives in custom black packaging , features a combination of gloss and matte black finishing , and includes early access to the new brush head cover .
marker colours indicate light ( open circle ) , medium ( grey circle ) , and dark ( black circle ) round goby males .
) during the breeding season . cream , fawn or sandy with black blotches , sometimes it will appear black . in breeding coloration the elongate first dorsal fin is distinctive .
the black goby seldom exceeds the length of five or six inches ; it is of the voracious kind , preying on smaller fishes and aquatic insects .
the big black smudges on the side of the body obscure the smaller spots and are diagnostic . the absence of large blotches indicate the similar rock goby .
the black goby is up to 17 cm in length with the thick - set head being a quarter of the total length . in colour this species is a dark - grey or brown with lighter markings , each dorsal fin has small black mark its front end . gobies have 2 dorsal fins and this goby species has a pointed first dorsal fin .
here ' s the pair in my 55 , a black - ray shrimp goby ( stonogobiops nematodes ) and my randall ' s pistol shrimp ( alpheus randalli ) the most commonly offered species .
here ' s a black - ray shrimp goby ( stonogobiops nematodes ) and a pair of scissortail dartfishes ( ptereleotris evides ) , which are not gobies , sharing a burrow with two tiger pistol shrimp ( alpheus bellulus ) . this goby most often pairs up with alpheus randalli , though .
description : the body of the blackeye goby ( rhinogobiops nicholsii ) is usually a light beige to olive in color with darker spots and mottling . the body coloration and its spots can change if needed . a thick black edge can be seen on the fore - dorsal fin . the raised , big black eyes are responsible for its common name .
32 - 45 scales on the lateral line , less than the rock goby .
the round goby’s distinctive single , fused pelvic fin distinguishes it from the sculpin .
the dracula shrimp goby , stonogobiops dracula , usually pairs up with alpheus randalli .
the aurora shrimp goby , amblyeleotris aurora , usually pairs up with alpheus randalli .
the round goby is native to eurasia , particularly the black sea and caspian sea . it was introduced to the great lakes through the ballast water of ships . the first confirmed sighting in lake ontario was in 1998 .
my 5 and 7 year old sons recently caught two black gobies while fishing in argyllshire . the fish were caught off a pier in tayvallich
this species has been recorded from the eastern atlantic , the mediterranean sea , the north sea , the baltic sea and the black sea .
and black sea , including sea of azov ; suez canal and northern gulf of suez . also from canaries ( miller , 1984 ) .
distribution and habitat : the black goby is found along the coast in the area extending from virolahti in the gulf of finland to kristiinankaupunki in the gulf of botnia . prefers bladderwrack cover and a muddier bottom than other finnish gobies .
wisconsin sea grant . 2008 . fish of the great lakes : round goby . urltoken
characteristics in the dutch round goby population from five localities within the river rhine system .
the orange spotted shrimp goby , amblyeleotris guttata , usually pairs up with alpheus ochrostriatus .
the big black smudges on the side of the body obscure the smaller spots and are diagnostic ( in british seas ) . the absence of large blotches can indicate the similar rock goby . these smudges are obscured in breeding coloration of both
the randall ' s shrimp goby , amblyeleotris randalli , usually pairs up with alpheus randalli .
the black & white clown goby is a new addition to the us aquarium industry . it is very easy to keep and makes a great addition to any small tank . they can be added as pairs and will do best in a reef tank environment .
immler s , mazzoldi c , rasotto mb . from sneaker to parental male : change of reproductive traits in the black goby , gobius niger ( teleostei , gobiidae ) . j exp zool part a , comp exp biol . 2004 ; 301a : 177–185 .
the black - lined sleeper goby has 2 distinct longitudinal stripes along the side of it ' s head and body . the adults are found in shallow areas of large coastal bays and on deep slopes . while juveniles are usually close to rocks in clear estuaries .
fresh water , prefers brackish ( stepien and tumeo 2006 ) . eurasia including black sea , caspian sea , and sea of azov and tributaries ( miller 1986 ) .
colouring : brown or dark brown with irregular darker bar - like patches . overall , the colouring is very dark . spawning males become almost completely black and the fins more showy .
the dragon goby ( or brownbarred goby , amblygobius phalaena ) is another one that can get big for a goby , sometimes reaching lengths of about 6 inches . this is another a sifter that also scoops up mouthfuls of sand and consumes the creatures living in it , and can thus help keep a sand bed clean , too .
alexander , j . 2004 . goby population explodes in lakes . everything michigan ( november 13 , 2004 ) urltoken
the yellow watchman goby , cryptocentrus cinctus , isn ' t always yellow , as they sometimes have dark coloration .
introduced into the great lakes from the black sea via freighter ballast . spread to lake superior by freighters operating within the great lakes . round goby distribution in the baltic sea was partially determined by shipping activity , thus it is likely the same applies to the great lakes populations ( kotta et al . 2016 ) .
charlebois p , marsden je , wolfe k , jude dj , rudnicka s . the round goby , neogobius melanostomus ( pallas ) : a review of european and north american literature . round goby conf . 1997 ; 60 . available :
round gobies look similar to sculpins , a native , bottom - dwelling fish occasionally caught by anglers . sculpins ( cottus bairdi and c cognatus ) , also called muddlers or miller ' s thumb , are usually solid brown or mottled . both sculpins and goby males can appear almost solid black during spawning . round gobies have a distinctive large black spot on the front dorsal fin ; and sculpins often have a dark spot in the same location . sculpins can most easily be distinguished from gobies by their separate pelvic fins .
it prefers sand or gravel and is often seen scouting from its hiding place under a rock or in a crevice . the black goby does not mind the low salinity near estuaries and is common in all the big fjords on the west coast of norway . it has not been reported below a depth of 65 meters .
off all the coasts of britain and further afield , baltic , in the shallow seas off the coast of southern norway , france , spain , portugal , temperate africa , mediterranean . , black sea .
off all the coasts of britain and further afield , baltic , in the shallow seas off the coast of southern norway , france , spain , portugal , temperate africa , mediteranean . , black sea .
this is by far the biggest goby in norwegian waters , reaching a body length of 17 cm . the most obvious characteristic , besides the size , is that the fourth spine on the first dorsal fin is longer than the rest . old males turn almost black , but brown with dark and bright spots are more common .
: round gobies are native to the caspian and black sea regions , including their tributaries . they have been introduced to the great lakes region of north america , probably in ballast water discharged by transatlantic ships originating from eastern europe . the round goby was first found in north america in 1990 in the st . clair river .
the distribution of the round goby around the inshore areas of the black and caspian seas indicates their potential for widespread occupation of inshore habitats with cover , especially plants or rocky rubble , in the lower great lakes , yet they can migrate to deeper water 50 - 60 m in winter ( jude et al . , 1992 ) .
van beek gcw . the round goby neogobius melanostomus first recorded in the netherlands . aquat invasions . 2006 ; 1 : 42–43 .
peckett , f . 2007 . gobius niger black goby . in tyler - walters h . and hiscock k . ( eds ) marine life information network : biology and sensitivity key information reviews , [ on - line ] . plymouth : marine biological association of the united kingdom . [ cited 09 - 07 - 2018 ] . available from : urltoken
hi mattd , great image ! thank you for submitting it . i don ' t think that your fish is a black - lined sleeper goby . i think that it is probably the red - lined sleeper goby , valenciennea sp . the species is shown on page 361 of kuiter ( 2000 ) - see references above . i don ' t believe that the species has been formally named ( ie , it has no species name ) but i will check and let you know .
association between reproductive groups and colour ( dark , medium , light ) and mottledness ( present or absent ) in round goby males .
a team of mcmaster university researchers discovered this trend from studying the round goby population in this ecosystem for the the last 15 years .
neck scaled with a black spot in the front end of each dorsal fin ( ref . 35388 ) ; body shape is terete , slightly depressed ; eyes situated dorso - laterally ; reduced swim bladders ( ref . 92840 ) .
svetovidov , a . n . 1964 . rîbî chernogo morya . [ the fishes of the black sea ] . opred faune sssr , 86 : pp . 1 - 552 , fig . 1 - 191 ( in russian ) .
distinguishing characteristics have been given by berg ( 1949 ) , miller ( 1986 ) , crossman et al . ( 1992 ) , marsden and jude ( 1995 ) , and hubbs et al . ( 2004 ) . young round gobies are solid slate gray . older fish are blotched with black and brown and have a white to greenish dorsal fin with a black spot at the posterior base . this goby is superficially similar to native sculpins but can be distinguished by the presence of fused pelvic fins ( sculpins have two separate fins ) ( marsden and jude 1995 ; hubbs et al . 2004 ) .
magnhagen c . alternative reproductive behaviour in the common goby , pomatoschistus microps : an ontogenetic gradient ? anim behav . 1992 ; 44 : 182–184 .
she also discovered that round goby at the contaminated sites were smaller overall , a trend researchers can only explain by an account of varying possibilities .
anyway , when they ' re kept with a shrimp , what you ' ll see is that the goby is usually out of the burrow , at least partially , but near its entrance , with the shrimp behind it . sometimes the shrimp will venture out from the goby a few inches at the most while it ' s working on the burrow , but most of the time it stays close by and maintains physical contact with the goby by touching it with one of its antennae . in the event that the goby feels the need to warn the shrimp of any impending trouble , it ' ll wiggle its tail or body in a way that alerts the shrimp , and off it goes into the burrow with the goby typically following right behind .
: control measures include the use of electrical barriers and piscicides to deter movement . prohibiting transport of round goby for use as live bait may limit spread .
since round goby fish invaded hamilton harbour , their population has declined at clean sites , while their numbers remained consistent in the polluted areas , mccallum says .
eastern atlantic and mediterranean sea : throughout north africa from cape blanc , mauritania north and eastwards to the suez canal ; also along the eastern atlantic coast northwards to trondheim ( norway ) and baltic sea . also known from the black sea ( ref . 4646 ) .
takegaki t , svensson o , kvarnemo c . socially induced tactic change in 2 types of sand goby sneaker males . behav ecol . 2012 ; 23 : 742–750 .
macinnis aj , corkum ld . fecundity and reproductive season of the round goby negobius melanosomus in the upper detroit river . trans am fish soc . 2000 ; 136–144 .
appearance : stockier - bodied than the sand , common and two - spotted gobies with a blunter snout , also slightly larger in size . distinguished from the round goby , a fairly new arrival in finnish waters , which grows much bigger , is more stout - bodied and has a more rounded snout . like most other gobies , the black goby has fused pelvic fins . the first dorsal fin has six spiny rays and is much higher than the second dorsal , which has soft rays . spiny rays of first dorsal may protrude beyond fin membrane , which is joined to that of second dorsal . second dorsal fin much longer than distance between its posterior edge and caudal fin . in other finnish gobies the reverse is true , the exception being the round goby , which has an even longer second dorsal .
knight , c . 1994 . the round goby : lake erie ' s newest invader . ohio chapter american fisheries society ( ocafs ) newsletter 21 ( 3 ) : 5 .
erin mccallum casts a minnow trap used to lure round goby fish in hamilton harbour . she has been studying the invasive species for the last 15 years . ( erin mccallum )
round goby is one of the most frequently found prey items in the diet of the double - crested cormorant in the southern basin of lake michigan ( madura and jones 2016 ) .
pettitt - wade et al . ( 2015 ) examined trophic niche breadth , plasticity , and overlap between round and tubenose gobies in lakes superior and st . clair using stable isotope analysis . they found a higher isotopic trophic position and generally higher isotopic nichc breadth and plasticity in round goby , with little overlap between size - matched round and tubenose gobies , and suggested that this increased isotopic niche breadth and plasticity has assisted in the establishement success of round goby in the great lakes ( widely abundant and distributed vs . low abundance and localized distribution of tubenose goby ) .
in the black goby , mazzoldi & rasotto [ 39 ] have shown that , in the field , parental males were larger than 9 cm total length , while sneaker males ranged from 6–8 cm . in grass goby , zosterisessor ophiocephalus , scaggiante et al . [ 31 ] found an intermediate investment in both testes and seminal vesicles in males ranging between 12 . 6 to 16 cm total length . possibly , these males are switching from one tactic to another , or adopt either a sneaking or parental tactic depending on opportunity . the above findings correspond to the cut - off point we found in this study . body size , thus , seems to be one of the main factors in switching reproductive tactics [ 20 ] and it is likely that the benefits of adopting a parental tactic increase at a certain size range . in round goby , we found a bimodal distribution in a random population sample , and we were able to pinpoint the cut - off point at 9 . 35 cm total length , suggesting that size is a major factor for round goby males to switch tactics .
marentette jr , fitzpatrick jl , berger rg , balshine s . multiple male reproductive morphs in the invasive round goby ( apollonia melanostoma ) . j great lakes res . 2009 ; 35 : 302–308 .
the round goby was first found in lake ontario in 1998 . it has been destructive because of it is more aggressive than native fish and competes for the same food source . ( erin mccallum )
the diet of round gobies collected in the united states consists of aquatic insects , zebra mussels , and some native snails . studies have shown a single goby can eat as many as 78 zebra mussels per day . this goby is a very pugnacious fish that feeds voraciously , and , as such , it may prey on the young of other deepwater bottom dwellers such as sculpins , darters , and logperch . its well - developed lateral line may help it out compete natives for food in the murky great lakes waters . its pugnacious appetite is not reserved solely for other species ; round goby males are known to eat other males eggs when they take over a spawning ground ( janssen and jude 2001 , and references within ) . adult round goby also have been known to feed on smaller conspecifics .
round goby has been shown to exhibit phenotypic plasticity in some life history characteristics , such as reproductive traits like number and size of mature oocytes , and this plasticity has been suggested to enhance establishment success at invasion fronts ( hôrková and kovác 2015 ) . phenotypic plasticity has also been shown in round goby to maintain or regain homeostasis after rapid temperature changes , thus increasing its invasion success ( wellband and heath 2017 ) .
vodjanitzki , w . a . ; kazanova , i . i . 1954 . opredelitel pelaghiceski ikrino i licino rib cernogo morea [ key for identification of the pelagic eggs and fish larvae in the black sea ] . trudy vses . nauchno - issled . inst . morsk . ryb . khoz . okeanogr . , 28 : 240 - 327 , 72 fig .
mazzoldi c , scaggiante m , ambrosin e , rasotto mb . mating system and alternative male mating tactics in the grass goby zosterissessor ophiocephalus ( teleostei : gobiidae ) . mar biol . 2000 ; 137 : 1041–1048 .
polačik m , janáč m , vassilev m , trichkova t . morphometric comparison of native and non - native populations of round goby neogobius melanostomus from the river danube . folia zool . 2012 ; 61 : 1–8 .
scaggiante m , mazzoldi c , petersen cw , rasotto mb . sperm competition and mode of fertilization in the grass goby zosterisessor ophiocephalus ( teleostei : gobiidae ) . j exp zool . 1999 ; 283 : 81–90 .
the round goby perches on rocks and other substrates in shallow areas , yet it has also been reported to flourish in a variety of habitat types including open sandy areas and in abundant aquatic macrophytes ( jude and deboe 1996 ; clapp et al . 2001 ) . this goby also has a well developed sensory system that enhances its ability to detect water movement . this allows it to feed in complete darkness , giving it an advantage over other fish in the same habitat ( wisconsin sea grant 2008 ) . the zebra mussel may have facilitated the invasion of the round goby and other eurasian species by providing an abundant food source ( ricciardi and macisaac 2000 ) .
rollo , a . , g . andraso , j . janssen , and d . higgs . 2007 . attraction and localization of round goby ( neogobius melanostomus ) to conspecific calls . behaviour 144 : 1 - 21 .
here ' s the pair in my 125 , a yellow watchman goby ( cryptocentrus cinctus ) and my tiger pistol shrimp ( alpheus bellulus ) . this species often pairs with alpheus djeddensis or a . ochrostriatus , though .
spring around the british coasts . male fish turns a blacker tinge when guarding the nest . the third spine of the first dorsal fin is longer than the others and this is never the case with the similar rock goby .
round goby fish , the invasive species that has monopolized the great lakes for almost 30 years , is now thriving in hamilton harbour because
they ' re able to live in these highly polluted environments
new research suggests .
savino , j . f . , d . j . jude , and m . j . kostich . 2001 . use of electric barriers to deter movement of round goby . american fisheries society symposium 26 : 171 - 182 .
round goby fish , the invasive species that has monopolized the great lakes for almost 40 years , is now thriving in hamilton harbour because
they ' re able to live in these highly polluted environments ,
new research suggests .
they ' ll do this if a potential predator comes too close , but they ' ll oftentimes scram even when harmless fishes get too close at feeding time , or the goby will do just the opposite depending on the competition . i ' ve got a goby / shrimp pair in my 125 gallon , and another in my 55 gallon , and neither of the gobies is a chicken . i ' ve had others that were , though . i ' ll explain…
kornis ms , mercado - silva n , vander zanden mj . twenty years of invasion : a review of round goby neogobius melanostomus biology , spread and ecological implications . j fish biol . 2012 ; 80 : 235–285 . pmid : 22268429
utne - palm ac , eduard k , jensen kh , mayer i , jakobsen pj . size dependent male reproductive tactic in the two - spotted goby ( gobiusculus flavescens ) . plos one . 2015 ; 10 : e0143487 . pmid : 26642324
our blue zoo mix is a great staple food for this fish . it is a small goby so it will pick the cyclopeeze and other small foods out of the mix . meaty foods like baby brine shrimp can be fed as a treat .
hôrková , k . , and v . kovác . 2015 . ontogenetic phenomena , temporal aspect , and ecological factors in the successful invasion of round goby neogobius melanostomus in the river danube . aquatic invasions 10 ( 2 ) : 227 - 235 . urltoken
the round goby population samples were provided from the ‘active freshwater fish monitoring’ survey in 2014 , a legally required ecological status assessment relating to the water framework directive ( wfd ; 2000 / 60 / ec ) . this standardized survey records fish populations in permanent transects since 1997 and is carried out in 22 key areas . frozen round goby samples were provided from this fish survey ( sampled in march - april 2014 ) from five different localities ( up to ± 175 km apart ) within the river rhine system (
corkum , l . d . , m . r . sapota , and k . e . skora . 2004 . the round goby , neogobius melanostomus , a fish invader on both sides of the atlantic ocean . biological invasions 6 : 173 - 181 .
citation : bleeker k , de jong k , van kessel n , hinde ca , nagelkerke laj ( 2017 ) evidence for ontogenetically and morphologically distinct alternative reproductive tactics in the invasive round goby neogobius melanostomus . plos one 12 ( 4 ) : e0174828 . urltoken
guo z , cucherousset j , lek s , li z , zhu f , tang j , et al . comparative study of the reproductive biology of two congeneric and introduced goby species : implications for management strategies . hydrobiologia . 2013 ; 709 : 89–99 .
crane , d . p . , and d . w . einhouse . 2016 . changes in growth and diet of smallmouth bass following invasion of lake erie by the round goby . journal of great lakes research 42 ( 2 ) : 405 - 412 . urltoken
we measured morphological characteristics in a random population sample of round goby , neogobius melanostomus , caught in five river locations within the river rhine system in the netherlands . the round goby is an important and potentially harmful invasive freshwater species , known for its wide - ranging invasion across north america , the baltic sea and european rivers [ 23 ] . in the netherlands , this species was first recorded in 2004 [ 24 ] and has since displayed an invasive dispersal pattern [ 25 , 26 ] . there is strong evidence for the existence of male alternative reproductive tactics in round goby populations in the great laurentian lakes [ 27 ] . however , evidence for the existence of male alternative reproductive tactics in western european populations is still anecdotal . we expect distinct male morphs being present in european round goby populations as well . the aim of this study was to assess whether we could clearly distinguish different male morphs , indicating alternative reproductive tactics . furthermore , we aim to assess whether there was overlap in morphological characteristics between these morphs , which would suggest flexibility in the tactic switch - point .
coulter , d . p . , b . a . murry , and d . g . uzarski . 2015 . relationships between habitat characteristics and round goby abundance in lake michigan and huron . journal of great lakes research 41 ( 3 ) : 890 - 897 . urltoken
the goby has been destructive because it is more aggressive than native fish and competes for the same food source . it also spawns more often than fish local to the great lakes — with more than 100 per square metre on the lake or river bottom in some areas .
justification : gobius niger occurs in the eastern central atlantic and is common in the baltic sea , the mediterranean sea , the north sea , the black sea , the suez canal to gulf of suez and the red sea . it is common in museum collection records and there is evidence of local abundance . this species is uncommon in the aquarium trade . there are no known species - specific conservation measures for gobius niger . therefore , it is listed as least concern .
van guilder , m . a . , and n . e . seefelt . 2013 . double - crested ( phalacrocorax auritus ) chick bioenergetics following round goby ( neogobius melanostomus ) invasion and implementation of cormorant population control . journal of great lakes research 39 : 153 - 161 .
adrian - kalchhauser et al . ( 2017 ) suggest that there is no direct evidence for the direct attachment of egg clutches by round goby to aquatic vessels , a commonly suggested introduction vector for ponto - caspian gobiids , and that this concept should be treated as an untested hypothesis .
johnson , t . b . , d . b . bunnell , and c . t . knight . 2005 . a potential new energy pathway in central lake erie : the round goby connection . journal of great lakes research 31 ( suppl . 2 ) : 238 - 251 .
< 0 . 05 ) than females ( 59 . 4 % of the total sample ) . overall sex ratio was found to be female biased ( 1 . 46 : 1 ) . characteristics of the dutch round goby population per river locality can be found in the supporting information (
dietrich , j . p . , b . j . morrison , and j . a . hoyle . 2006 . alternative ecological pathways in the eastern lake ontario food web—round goby in the diet of lake trout . journal of great lakes research 32 ( 2 ) : 395 - 400 .
janssen , j . , and d . j . jude . 2001 . recruitment failure of mottled sculpin cottus bairdi in the calumet harbor , southern lake michigan , induced by the newly introduced round goby neogobius melanostomus . journal of great lakes research 27 ( 2 ) : 319 - 328 .
they were both about 6 inches ( 15 cm ) long and each displayed extended dorsal spines - in fact there were distinctive long ( 0 . 5 - 1 . 0 cm ) , flowing , trailing tips to the first 2 / 3 spines - possible as a result of the extremely low current flow in the sheltered ' appendix ' to a sea loch in which they were living ? dark blotches were present and fused fins below . underwater , when viewed from above they appeared black .
kotta , j . , k . nurkse , r . puntila , and h . ojaveer . 2016 . shipping and natural environmental conditions determine the distribution of the invasive non - indigenous round goby neogobius melanostomus in a regional sea . estuarine , coastal and shelf science 169 : 15 - 24 .
burkett , e . m . , and d . j . jude . 2015 . long - term impacts of invasive round goby neogobius melanostomus on fish community diversity and diets in the st . clair river , michigan . journal of great lakes research 41 ( 3 ) : 862 - 872 . urltoken
ruetz , c . r . , iii , d . l . strouse , and s . a . pothoven . 2009 . energy density of introduced round goby compared with four native fishes in a lake michigan tributary . transactions of the american fisheries society 138 ( 4 ) : 938 - 947 .
crossman , e . j . , e . holm , r . cholmondeley , and k . tuininga . 1992 . first record for canada of the rudd , scardinius erythrophthalmus , and notes on the introduced round goby , neogobius melanostomus . canadian field - naturalist 106 ( 2 ) : 206 - 209 .
phillips , e . c . , m . e . washek , a . w . hertel , and b . m . niebel . 2003 . the round goby ( neogobius melanostomus ) in pennsylvania tributary streams of lake erie . journal of great lakes research 29 ( 1 ) : 34 - 40 .
exotic species , such as the round goby , have destroyed and disrupted aquatic communities across the nation . the entry of another foreign invader to the already abused great lakes environment is an unwelcome addition to the plethora of other problems , including habitat destruction , overfishing , pollution , and loss of native species .
adrian - kalchhauser , i . , a . n ' guyen , p . e . hirsch , and p . burkhardt - holm . 2017 . the invasive round goby may attach its eggs to ships or boats – but there is no evidence . aquatic invasions 12 ( 2 ) : 263 - 267 .
gendron , a . d . , d . j . marcogliese , and m . thomas . 2012 . invasive species are less parasitized than native competitors , but for how long ? the case of the round goby in the great lakes - st . lawrence basin . biological invasions 14 : 367 - 384 .
steinhart , g . b . , r . a . stein , and e . a . marschall . 2004 . high growth rate of young - of - the - year smallmouth bass in lake erie : a result of the round goby invasion ? journal of great lakes reserach 30 : 381 - 389 .
the round goby population samples were provided from the ‘active freshwater fish monitoring’ survey in 2014 , a legally required ecological status assessment relating to the water framework directive ( wfd ; 2000 / 60 / ec ) . this standardized survey records fish populations in permanent transects since 1997 and is carried out in 22 key areas . frozen round goby samples were provided from this fish survey ( sampled in march - april 2014 ) from five different localities ( up to ± 175 km apart ) within the river rhine system ( fig 1 ) . round goby samples were caught using electrofishing ( generator pulsating d . c . 200–300 v ) and bottom - trawling ( smallest mesh size 20 mm ) . both gear types were used in four river localities , electrofishing was not used in nieuwe waterweg as this gear type was not sufficient to use in this part of the river . see [ 28 ] for specific methods used in the ‘active freshwater fish monitoring’ survey .
clapp , d . f . , p . j . schneeberger , d . j . jude , g . madison , and c . pistis . 2001 . monitoring round goby ( neogobius melanostomus ) population expansion in eastern and northern lake michigan . journal of great lakes research 27 ( 3 ) : 335 - 341 .
poos , m . , a . j . dextrase , a . n . schwalb , and j . d . ackerman . 2010 . secondary invasion of the round goby into high diversity great lakes tributaries and species at risk hotspots : potential new concerns for endangered freshwater species . biological invasions 12 : 1269 - 1284 .
medium - sized goby ( a family of small fishes with a notorious reputation of being difficult to differentiate , characterised by a pair of dorsal fins , and a pelvic fin fused into a weak suction cup ) . the first dorsal fin is elongate , especially the third and fourth spines , in this species ( but not in
madenjian , c . p . , m . a . stapanian , l . d . witzel , d . w . einhouse , s . a . pothoven , and h . l . whitford . 2011 . evidence for predatory control of the invasive round goby . biological invasions 13 ( 4 ) : 987 - 1002 . urltoken
medium - sized goby ( a family of small fishes with a notorious reputation of being difficult to differentiate , characterised by a pair of dorsal fins , and a pelvic fin fused into a weak suction cup ) . the first dorsal fins are elongate , especially the third and / or fourth spine , in this species ( but not in
bergstrom , m . a . , l . m . evrard , and a . f . mensinger . 2008 . distribution , abundance , and range of the round goby , apollonia melanostoma , in the duluth - superior harbor and st . louis river estuary 1998 - 2004 . journal of great lakes research 34 : 535 - 543 .
taraborelli , a . c . , m . g . fox , t . b . johnson , and t . schaner . 2010 . round goby ( neogobius melanostomus ) population structure , biomass , prey consumption , and mortality from predation in the bay of quinte , lake ontario . journal of great lakes research 36 : 625 - 632 .
cammaerts r , spikmans f , van kessel n , verreycken h , chérot f , demol t , et al . colonization of the border meuse area ( the netherlands and belgium ) by the non - native western tubenose goby proterorhinus semilunaris ( heckel , 1837 ) ( teleostei , gobiidae ) . aquat invasions . 2012 ; 7 : 251–258 .
) . round goby samples were caught using electrofishing ( generator pulsating d . c . 200–300 v ) and bottom - trawling ( smallest mesh size 20 mm ) . both gear types were used in four river localities , electrofishing was not used in nieuwe waterweg as this gear type was not sufficient to use in this part of the river . see [
although gobies belong to a family of fish with a worldwide distribution in both salt and freshwater , they had not been found in the great lakes prior to 1990 . a second species , the tubenose goby ( proterorhinus marmoratus ) , also appeared in the st . clair river in 1990 ; but this species , which is endangered in its native habitat , has remained uncommon . the more aggressive , robust round goby underwent a rapid dispersal and population expansion in the st . clair river and lake st . clair . in 1993 it began to spread to other waterways , and the likelihood of its spreading to watersheds such as the mississippi river drainage system has raised concerns over its potential effects on north american native species and ecosystems .
round gobies are bottom - dwelling fish that perch on rocks and other substrate . they can grow to 25 cm ( 10 inches ) as adults . gobies have large heads , soft bodies , and dorsal fins lacking spines ; they slightly resemble large tadpoles . the gobies ' unique feature is their fused pelvic ( bottom ) fins , which form a suctorial disk . in flowing water habitats , this suction disk aids in anchoring the fish to the substrate . young round gobies are a solid slate gray ; larger individuals have blotches of black and brown over their bodies , and their dorsal fin may be tinged with green .
biplot of the first two principal component axes ( a ) and scatterplot of cheek size vs . eye diameter ( b ) in round goby males . based on 9 morphometric characters for sneaker morphs ( n = 28 ) , intermediates ( n = 6 ) and parental morphs ( n = 34 ; one parental was excluded from this analysis due to missing measurements ) .
ochs , c . l . , a . j . laframboise , w . w . green , a . basilious , t . b . johnson , and b . s . zielinski . 2013 . response to putative round goby ( neogobius melanostomus ) pheromones by centrarchid and percid fish species in the laurentian great lakes . journal of great lakes research 39 : 186 - 189 .
coulter et al . ( 2015 ) examined the influence of various habitat characteristics ( e . g . , wetlands vs open water , productivity , zooplankton and fish community diversity ) on the abundance of round goby at several sites in lakes michigan and huron , finding that catch per unit effort was generally related to biological productivity but the direction and strength of the relationship varied across sites .
the study monitored round goby at six sites throughout the harbour — two contaminated sites near randle reef , an area of the harbour that ' s considered a toxic hot spot because of its legacy of industrial contaminants — such as coal gasification , petroleum refining , steel making , municipal waste , sewage and overland drainage , and four
clean
sites , areas that are contaminate free .
round gobies prefer a rocky or gravel habitat ; they hide in crevices or actively burrow into gravel when startled . in the black and caspian seas , gobies generally inhabit the nearshore area , although they will migrate to deeper water ( up to 60 meters [ 197 feet ] depth ) in winter . they also are found in rivers and in slightly brackish water . in europe , the diet of round gobies consists primarily of bivalves ( clams and mussels ) and large invertebrates , but they also eat fish eggs , small fish , and insect larvae . in the united states , studies have revealed that the diet of round gobies includes insect larvae and zebra mussels .
total length and body weight were analysed from a total of 387 males and 566 females of the round goby ( table 1 ) . males ( 40 . 6 % of the total sample ) were significantly larger ( wilcoxon signed - rank test , n 1 = 566 , n 2 = 387 , w = 97938 , p < 0 . 05 ) and heavier ( wilcoxon signed rank test , n 1 = 566 , n 2 = 387 , w = 101190 , p < 0 . 05 ) than females ( 59 . 4 % of the total sample ) . overall sex ratio was found to be female biased ( 1 . 46 : 1 ) . characteristics of the dutch round goby population per river locality can be found in the supporting information ( s1 table ) .
learn to identify gobies ( see illustration that indicates fused pelvic [ bottom ] fins ) . to enable biologists to track the spread of round gobies , up - to - date information on new sightings is needed . your assistance is extremely important . if you catch a round goby outside the areas noted on the map indicating goby range , preserve the fish either in alcohol ( grocery store rubbing alcohol is fine ) or by freezing it . then contact your state sea grant office or fisheries management agency . be prepared to describe when and where you caught the fish ( the name of the lake or stream , and the nearest town ) . new sightings can be confirmed only by identification of a captured fish . verbal reports cannot be used because sculpins can be easily mistaken for gobies .
the numbers of native fish species have declined in areas where the round goby has become abundant ( crossman et al . , 1992 ) . this species has been found to prey on darters , other small fish , and lake trout eggs and fry in laboratory experiments . they also may feed on eggs and fry of sculpins , darters , and logperch ( marsden and jude , 1995 ) and have also been found to have a significant overlap in diet preference with many native fish species . french and jude ( 2001 ) suggested that round goby competes with rainbow darter ( etheostoma caeruleum ) , logperch ( percina caprodes ) , and northern madtom ( noturus stigmosus ) for small macroinvertebrates ; however , burkett and jude ( 2015 ) found that gobies exhibited little diet overlap with most small benthic fishes .
gobius niger occurs from the canary islands , to mauritania and senegal ( maugé 1986 , miller 1990 , eschmeyer 2013 , miller and murdy in press ) . the records from senegal are dubious and the known southern limit of the distribution for g . niger is cape blanc , mauritania ( tito de morias pers . comm . 2014 ) . this species occurs in the baltic sea , the mediterranean sea , the north sea , the black sea , the suez canal to gulf of suez , and the red sea ( maugé 1986 , miller 1986 , miller 1990 , eschmeyer 2013 , miller and murdy in press ) . gobius niger is found between depths of 50 - 75 m ( miller 1990 ) .
au gres - rifle ; au sable ; betsie - platte ; birch - willow ; black - macatawa ; boardman - charlevoix ; brevoort - millecoquins ; carp - pine ; cass ; cedar - ford ; cheboygan ; clinton ; detroit ; fishdam - sturgeon ; flint ; huron ; kalamazoo ; kawkawlin - pine ; lake erie ; lake huron ; lake michigan ; lake st . clair ; lake superior ; little calumet - galien ; lone lake - ocqueoc ; lower grand ; manistee ; muskegon ; ottawa - stony ; pere marquette - white ; pigeon - wiscoggin ; pine ; raisin ; saginaw ; shiawassee ; st . clair ; st . joseph ; st . marys ; tacoosh - whitefish ; thunder bay ; upper grand
spring around the british coasts . the eggs are laid on the underside of rocks and shells , usually in shallow water below low water mark , but also in large estuaries where the salinity may be reduced . male fish turns a blacker tinge when guarding the nest . the third and / or fourth spine of the first dorsal fin is longer than the others and this is never the case with the similar rock goby .
next is the catalina goby ( or blue - banded goby , lythrypnus dalli ) that hails from the waters off california and baja mexico , which is a problem for most of us . this is because these waters are much cooler than our reef aquariums , and even many non - reef marine aquariums . so , our tanks tend to be too warm for these gobies to live in , as they should be kept in the 50 ' s to 60 ' s fahrenheit and shouldn ' t be kept at temperatures above the low 70 ' s . i have heard reports of some hobbyists being able to keep them alive at higher temperatures , but i can ' t help but think they cannot be as healthy or live as long under such conditions . sorry , but these are unsuitable choices for most us , despite their appearance and availability .
on the positive side , round gobies eat large quantities of zebra mussels , an invader that is causing an increasingly large number of problems because of its huge reproductive output . zebra mussels are an important component of the gobies’ diet in their native range ; and , in laboratory studies in north america , a single round goby can eat up to 78 zebra mussels a day . however , it is unlikely that gobies alone will have a detectable impact on zebra mussels . the round goby is expected to be one of several species ( including ducks , crayfish , diseases , and other fish species ) that eventually will reduce the abundance of zebra mussels . gobies are preyed upon by several sport fish species ( e . g . , smallmouth and rock bass , walleyes , yellow perch , and brown trout ) . because the diet of round gobies consists predominately of zebra mussels , there may be a direct transfer of contaminants from gobies to sport fish .
in the wild they tend to sit around at a
cleaning station
, which may be operated by a single neon goby , but more often they ' re seen hanging around in pairs or in small groups where other fishes know to come for a good going over . these fishes looking for a cleaning recognize the neon gobies for what they are and refrain from harassing or eating them , and the gobies can get a meal out of the deal , of course .
introduced populations of round goby in the great lakes show reduced diversity and numbers of parasites compared to populations from its native range as well as to native great lakes fishes , providing some support for the ' enemy release hypothesis ' for invasion success ( kvach and stepien 2008 ; gendron et al . 2012 ) . however , gendron et al . ( 2012 ) found that gobies from lake st . clair ( one of the earliest introduced populations ) showed an increase in parasite diversity and density over time .
: learning to identify round gobies and educating yourself on their ecological and economical impacts is a start to help stop their spread . you can also help by practicing a few good techniques for stopping the spread of any aquatic nuisance species . never empty your bait bucket into a different body of water from where you obtained your bait . dispose of unused bait in the trash rather than in the water . if you find a round goby in waters different from what they are already known to be in contact your state department of natural resources .
unfortunately , the exception here is that some species don ' t care for other gobies , or other individuals of the same species in particular . while there are some that will actually share a burrow with other gobies of the same or other species , there are some that simply will not tolerate having another shrimp goby in the tank with them . these unsocial species will often go after each other relentlessly , until one is finally convinced to hide all time , or is literally run to death . however , there is an exception to the exception , as you may be lucky enough to come across a mated pair for sale , which should get along fine regardless of the species .
round goby was considered extremely abundant in the st . clair river in 1994 . short trawls made in lake erie in october 1994 turned up 200 individuals . frequent trawling in 1995 collected over 3 , 000 individuals near fairport harbor , ohio ( knight , personal communication ) . densities in calumet harbor exceed 20 per square meter ( marsden and jude 1995 ) . gravid females and different size classes have been found in lake erie ( t . cavender , ohio state university , columbus , oh , personal communication ) . in lake superior , primarily established in duluth - superior harbor and lower st . louis river , and absent from the remainder of the western portion of the lake ( bergstrom et al . , 2008 )
the invasion of round goby into lake erie has had very real environmental and economic impacts . beginning in 2004 , the state of ohio has closed the smallmouth bass fishery in lake erie during the months of may and june , due to high predation rates by gobies on nests affecting recruitment . under normal circumstances male smallmouth bass guard nests and are effective in deterring gobies . when males are removed , gobies immediately invade and have been shown to eat up to 4 , 000 eggs within 15 minutes . the months of may and june normally account for 50 percent of the total smallmouth bass catch in lake erie so there will be a considerable loss in funds generated by recreational fishers ( national invasive species council 2004 ) .
still , at night the burrows ' entrances usually cave in or are closed with the goby and shrimp safely inside . then , when the lights come on , the shrimps quickly get back to work . they ' ll dig tirelessly during the day , moving sand around from place to place to clean out and re - open the entrances , and will usually keep it open until the lights go off again . in fact , they stay so busy that it seems as if they actually enjoy the work . they ' re fun to watch for sure , and i ' d say that out of all the things in my aquariums , i spend more time watching the activities of my gobies and shrimps than anything else in the tanks .
this study is the first to describe population characteristics of the invasive round goby in the netherlands , and provides evidence for the presence of male alternative reproductive tactics in this population . a clear cut - off point between sneaker and parental morphs at 9 . 35 cm total length was found with few intermediates present in the population . this suggests that the switch - point , where the fitness functions of the two tactics cross , is mainly dependent on fish size . we suggest that male alternative reproductive tactics in this population are largely fixed at the onset of the breeding season and may be affected by birth date . the separate relationships between total length and gonad mass in the two morphs may indicate separate life - history pathways in male sneaker and parental morphs .
alternative reproductive tactics can be fixed , where conditions in early life determine which tactic is adopted [ 14 ] , or plastic , in which individuals switch tactics during their lifetime [ 1 ] . plastic tactics can be flexible and depend on the current condition of an individual in relation to the level of competition in the population [ 8 , 14 ] . tactics can also follow an ontogenetic gradient , where younger males follow a sneaking tactic until they are large enough to become parental males [ 2 , 8 , 11 , 14 – 16 ] . theory predicts that when alternative reproductive tactics evolve , both tactics should provide benefits in terms of reproductive output under certain conditions [ 1 ] . where the fitness curves of the tactics cross , there should be a clear switch - point at which individuals change tactics [ 4 ] . body size can be the main factor in this switch - point , and in many fish species sneaker males change to a parental tactic at a later life stage because the benefits of a sneaking tactic generally decrease with increasing body size , while the benefits of a parental tactic increase with body size [ 1 , 5 ] . in species of the gobiidae , both forms of plastic tactics have been found [ 15 – 21 ] . several goby species have been suggested to follow an ontogenetic gradient [ 15 – 17 , 19 , 21 ] , however it was also found that , in the absence of competition , small goby males can switch to a parental tactic [ 18 , 20 ] .


the common redpoll ( acanthis flammea ) is a species of bird in the finch family .

it breeds somewhat further south than the arctic redpoll , also in habitats with thickets or shrubs .

common redpoll

arctic redpoll , greenland arctic redpoll , greenland redpoll , hoary redpoll , hornemann’s arctic redpoll , hornemann’s redpoll , iceland redpoll , lesser redpoll , mealy redpoll , redpoll , tundra redpoll .
redpolls – main page common redpoll carduelis flammea hoary redpoll carduelis exilipes redpoll identification notes distinguishing common and hoary . . .
urging caution when identifying common redpolls redpoll identification is challenging because hoary and common redpoll seem to show an unbroken continuum . . .
adult male greater common redpoll ( rostrata ) in norland on 3 january 2008 .
the wilson bulletin - nesting habits of the common redpoll by lawrence i . grinnell
two common redpoll subspecies ( left ) and two hoary redpoll subspecies . drawing by michel gosselin of the canadian museum of nature .
southern hoary redpoll with southern common redpoll in background . note hoary ` s tiny bill . keswick , ontario , on 5 january 2015
the third type is the ' greenland redpoll ' ( c . rostrata ) , which is another winter visitor and is larger than the common redpoll and darker than the lesser redpoll .
from jean iron , excellent photos of common redpolls , hoary redpolls and greater common redpolls .
common redpoll carduelis flammea southern c . f . flammea greenland ( greater ) c . f . rostrata
the common redpoll is classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
greater common redpoll ( rostrata ) in toronto 8 march 2011 . note extensive black on face and chin .
southern common redpoll ( flammea ) at keswick on 5 january 2015 . buffy coloration suggests a first year bird .
flanks : the common redpoll shows heavy dark streaks on its flanks , while the hoary redpoll has much lighter , thinner streaks , or may not show many streaks at all .
the natural range of the common redpoll is north america , greenland , iceland and eurasia from britain east to japan .
the latest sighting details and map for common redpoll are only available to our birdguides ultimate or our birdguides pro subscribers .
underpart plumage : the common redpoll is much more likely to show a heavy pink wash on the breast , while the hoary redpoll is much paler and often shows just a faint touch of pink , or none at all . in general , the hoary redpoll is described as having
frosty
pale plumage with much more overall white than the common redpoll .
rump : the common redpoll often has dark streaks or a pink wash on its rump , while the hoary redpoll is much more likely to have a paler or plain white rump .
the common redpoll’s body is feathered in areas that are bare in most other birds , giving extra protection against the cold .
in all ages , the southern common redpoll is streaked on the sides , rump and undertail coverts and the bill is longer and less stubby than in hoary redpoll . see six photos below .
in winter , the common redpoll may tunnel into snow to roost , as the snow provides insulation against the cold night air .
a few calls from a flyover lesser redpoll , with flight and excitement calls of common crossbills at the end of the clip .
the common redpoll is able to store food in an expandable part of its throat and digest it later in a more sheltered spot .
the lesser redpoll , carduelis cabaret , has recently been split from the common or mealy redpoll , carduelis flammea , a larger and paler species , according to the royal society for the protection of birds .
i noticed the mention of lesser redpoll in a blog from the lodge earlier today . last winter i had redpoll appear at my nyger feeder and i have to say that i hadn’t really heard anything about redpoll far less seen any . they stayed around for quite a number of weeks and numbers ranged from 1 – 2 to up to 10 - 15 at times . i’ve heard that there are lesser redpoll , mealy redpoll , common redpoll and arctic redpoll . i would really appreciate it if a few questions could be answered for me regarding these cracking little birds .
common redpoll . adult male feeding on seed . boulder bank , nelson , july 2015 . image © rebecca bowater by rebecca bowater fpsnz afiap urltoken
the north european type is the common ' mealy ' redpoll ( c . flammea ) , which is a winter visitor and is larger ( about same size as a linnet ) and greyer looking than the lesser redpoll .
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each subspecies of the common redpoll is known to occupy a distinct range , although individuals from different subspecies may mix at wintering grounds ( 7 ) .
undertail coverts : while both birds can show streaking on the undertail coverts , the common redpoll will usually have heavier , more visible streaks . the finer streaks on the hoary redpoll may be very faint or not present at all .
the only one of the three that breeds in britain is lesser redpoll - it is also the most common redpoll here in winter . mealy occurs as a winter visitor in highly variable numbers . arctic is a scarce winter visitor .
subspecies and range : the common redpoll has very complex taxonomy varying according to the authors . in addition to the two usually recognized subspecies , the lesser redpoll ( a . cabaret ) is also considered a subspecies on this page .
click on photo for larger image . adult male hornemann ' s hoary redpoll ( right ) in township of north frontenac on 28 february 2011 . note larger size compared to a southern common redpoll ( flammea ) . photo by amy kay .
a small pale bird of the high arctic , the hoary redpoll is a rare winter visitor to southern canada and the northern united states . during redpoll invasions , a few paler hoary redpolls can sometimes be spotted within flocks of common redpolls .
the american ornithologists ' union check - list ( 1998 ) recognizes two species of redpolls : common redpoll acanthis flammea and hoary redpoll a . hornemanni . each species has two well - marked subspecies in north america . the two subspecies of common redpoll are the smaller southern nominate a . f . flammea and the larger northern a . f . rostrata . the two subspecies of hoary redpoll are the large northern nominate a . h . hornemanni and the smaller southern a . h . exilipes .
click on photo for larger image . hornemann ' s hoary redpoll at our bird feeder in toronto on 23 march 2011 . note larger size compared to common redpolls .
i agree with aiki , the bird in the first post is a lesser redpoll .
take the redpoll challenge , which is to see all four subspecies in one day .
knox , alan g . and peter e . lowther . 2000 . hoary redpoll (
the common redpoll flies with undulating up - and - down pattern like numerous fringillidae . it performs series of rapid wingbeats alternating with brief periods of wings pulled to sides .
common redpolls from greenland are larger and darker than those breeding in alaska and canada .
see czaplak ( 1995 ) for information on distinguishing common and hoary redpolls in winter .
thanks folks . very much appreciated . a little confusing as the most common one we see seems to be the ' lesser ' and not the ' common ' . ( i suppose the ' common ' will be more common than the ' lesser ' in other countries though ) . here ' s hoping for more of the same this winter .
click on photo for larger image . male hornemann ' s hoary redpoll is larger compared to common redpoll . roxane filion took this photo at her feeders in south porcupine ( cochrane district ) , ontario , when the hornemann ' s returned on 7 february 2015 .
leucistic ( partial albino ) common redpolls can occur in any large flock of redpolls , especially during a flight year . they may easily be misidentified as a hoary . matt walter took this photo of a leucistic common redpoll at north bay on 1 april 2013 ,
the common redpoll’s boreal and tundra habitats may be under threat from the effects of climate change , but the potential impacts on this species are not yet known ( 4 ) .
it provides a thorough review of the finer points , and limitations , of redpoll identification .
great photos of a hoary redpoll taken in early january in nearby hasty brook , minnesota .
bill size : both these finches have small , triangular , yellow bills , but the common redpoll ' s bill is slightly larger and more visible . the hoary redpoll ' s bill is stubbier and may have a pushed - back look on the bird ' s face .
at two different feeders . since then the redpoll scene has become more interesting . as noted in my
thus , i was fortunate enough to observe the four ontario redpoll subspecies in the yard that day .
many thanks to ron pittaway and michel gosselin for commenting on the redpoll identities in the above photos .
southern common redpolls ( flammea ) eating weed seeds in early winter . pickering on 7 december 2007 .
excellent in - hand comparisons of greater and southern common redpolls from toronto , taken by seabrook leckie .
knox , a . g . and lowther , p . e . ( 2000 ) common redpoll ( acanthis flammea ) and hoary redpoll ( acanthis hornemanni ) . in : poole , a . ( ed . ) the birds of north america online . cornell lab of ornithology , ithaca . available at : urltoken
as an adaptation against harsh northern environments , the common redpoll is capable of storing food in an expandable area within its throat , providing a reserve that can be consumed later in a more protected spot or during long winter nights ( 2 ) ( 5 ) . the common redpoll’s dense , fluffy plumage provides good insulation ( 4 ) ( 5 ) , while its body is feathered in areas that are bare in most other birds , giving further protection against the cold ( 4 ) . in winter , the common redpoll sometimes tunnels into snow to roost , with the snow insulating the bird against the cold night air ( 4 ) .
the final type is the arctic redpoll ( c . hornemanni ) , which is a rare vagrant from greenland and lapland and is slightly larger than the ' greenland redpoll ' and has a white rump and underparts .
some common redpolls are particularly pale and resemble small , fluffy snowballs when perched and drifting snowflakes in flight .
both species of redpoll are represented in greenland and baffin island by larger and more distinctive subspecies . these “greenland” hoary redpolls are large and very pale , while the “greenland” common redpolls are large and dark . an excellent summary of status and identification is in pittaway ( 1992 ) . greater common redpoll can appear in the eastern us in significant numbers some winters , outnumbering hoary ( pittaway 1992 , wetherbee 1937 ) . hornemann’s hoary redpoll is the rarest subspecies in the us , but has been recorded at least south to maryland and west to michigan .
the common redpoll occurs from sea level to elevations of around 1 , 350 metres in alaska , 450 metres in canada and greenland , and 1 , 300 metres in kamchatka , russia ( 2 ) ( 5 ) .
redpoll challenge : four subspecies [ an excellent summary and description of the four recognizeable subspecies found in ontario ] .
common in south island , especially in higher drier areas ; in the north island , hawkes bay , wairarapa .
a gregarious species , the common redpoll is usually found in pairs or small to large flocks ( 3 ) ( 4 ) . at popular roosting sites , flocks of around 1 , 000 individuals have been known to form ( 5 ) , and several pairs of common redpolls often nest quite close together ( 3 ) ( 5 ) ( 11 ) . the common redpoll has an ‘irruptive’ population cycle , becoming more abundant at the southern edge of its wintering range around every two years . such irruptions are generally associated with seed availability in this species’ normal range ( 5 ) .
the common redpoll commonly feeds in trees , often at the outer extremities , where it hangs upside - down to reach buds and catkins ( 2 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) . it also searches trees and shrubs for insects , and may cling to thin stems in low vegetation to reach seeds ( 5 ) . in winter , the common redpoll often feeds on the ground ( 2 ) ( 5 ) and will also visit bird feeders ( 4 ) .
the redpoll questions more thoughts on redpolls after yesterday’s post , prompted by my own nagging doubts and a . . .
greater redpoll photos maybe i should change the name of this blog to “all about redpolls” , but i’ve . . .
the predominant british type is the lesser redpoll ( c . cabaret ) , which is described in more detail above .
the common redpoll ( carduelis flammea ) is a small , grey - brown to white finch of the high arctic and boreal forests ( 4 ) ( 5 ) . its upperparts have extensive dark grey - brown streaking , while its underparts are whitish with dark streaking on the flanks . the tail of the common redpoll is dark brown and slightly forked , and there are two conspicuous white bars on the wings ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 5 ) ( 6 ) .
click on photo for larger image . male hornemann ' s hoary redpoll showing larger size compared to two common redpolls . roxane filion took this photo at her feeders in south porcupine ( cochrane district ) , ontario , on 3 february 2015 .
southern hoary redpoll . buff suffusion on face suggests a first year bird . norland , ontario , on 3 january 2008 .
a number of subspecies of common redpoll have been recognised , which vary in range , size and colouration , as well as in diet , habitat preferences and migratory behaviour ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 7 ) .
the common redpoll is abundant and very widespread , and is not currently considered to be at risk of extinction , although its overall population is believed to be declining ( 8 ) . it is reported to be quite tolerant of humans , often occurring in towns and villages , and its breeding areas are generally remote and largely unaffected by human activities . as it rarely winters in the same places from year to year , the common redpoll is also unlikely to be seriously affected by local habitat loss ( 5 ) .
czaplak , d . 1995 . identifying common and hoary redpolls in winter . birding 27 ( 6 ) : 446 - 457 .
oh wow - i have never seen any redpoll and now i learn that there are that many different ones . thanks for sharing .
recent work on this species has investigated redpoll taxonomy . are there 1 , 2 , . . . or 6 species of redpolls (
four redpoll taxa in one photo michael butler of marathon , ontario sent me the remarkable photo below , showing all four taxa . . .
the oldest recorded hoary redpoll was at least 6 years , 9 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in alaska .
the common redpoll has a peculiar morphological feature , a pouch within the throat , used for storing the food for up to several hours . this allows the bird to feed rapidly in the open in cold weather and then , it digests this food quietly in a sheltered place .
paul , the common and mealy are 2 names for the same species , so there are 3 not 4 . they do breed in the uk and there was probably an influx last winter . the commonest must be lesser redpoll . now i need the expert - it is quite a pale individual so am going for common / mealy but i am sure someone will come on here and tell me i am wrong .
density of common redpolls by detailed ecological unit in yukon - charley rivers national preserve , alaska , avian inventory , june 1999 and 2000 .
smith , k . g . 1979 . common redpolls using spruce seeds in northern utah . wilson bull . 91 : 621 - 23 .
thanks to everyone for the lovely redpoll ( and friends ) photos ! we had a single redpoll last winter in a flock of 30 or more siskins , so my fingers are crossed that we will have more redpolls this winter . i assume ours were lessers but have no proof .
knox , alan g . and peter e . lowther . 2000 . common redpoll ( acanthis flammea ) , version 2 . 0 . in the birds of north america ( p . g . rodewald , editor ) . cornell lab of ornithology , ithaca , new york , usa .
the common redpoll is slightly larger than the american goldfinch . the male is heavily streaked and has a small , red crown and pink breast . the female is duller than the male and lacks the pink breast , but does have the same red ' poll ' as the male .
the breeding season of the common redpoll is relatively short , from late may to the middle of july ( 2 ) ( 5 ) . usually only a single brood of chicks is raised each year , although in some areas pairs may raise two ( 2 ) ( 5 ) .
the common redpoll has a widespread distribution across northern parts of europe , asia and north america ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 8 ) . it breeds across scandinavia , russia and siberia , in northern north america , and in greenland and iceland ( 2 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 8 ) . the common redpoll has also been introduced to australia and new zealand , and sometimes occurs as a vagrant in the caribbean islands of jamaica and the bahamas , as well as in parts of southern and eastern europe ( 8 ) .
distinguishing common redpolls from hoary redpolls is a great identification challenge , but adult males are probably the easiest to separate . common redpolls have longer bills and flatter crowns , shown well in this individual . adult male hoary redpoll would be much whiter overall , and generally have a flushed pink breast and reduced flank streaking . the following is a link to this photographer ' s website : urltoken . , jan 30 , 2013 ; photographer raymond lee
range : both of these finches prefer northern regions , but the common redpoll is the more southerly of the two and is much more likely to appear further south during irruptions . hoary redpolls stay further north , and while they may also irrupt to the south , those appearances are far rarer .
a character index for redpoll identification [ edited 12 and 14 jan , 2008 , adding comments about the index ] i’ve been thinking about . . .
the natural range of the redpoll is the northern parts of north america , europe and asia where they may migrate to lower latitudes in the winter .
this species is a partial migrant , with some individuals remaining in the breeding areas year - round , while others move south in winter . the common redpoll may winter as far south as northern and central europe , china , japan and the united states ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 5 ) .
the juvenile common redpoll is similar in appearance to the adult female , but has more buffy upperparts and lacks the characteristic red crown ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 5 ) ( 7 ) . the bill of the juvenile is dark at first , becoming yellow after the first autumn moult ( 5 ) .
common redpolls are small songbirds with small heads and small , pointed , seed - eating bills . the tail is short with a small notch at the tip .
i ' ll add that common redpolls have bred occasionally in northern britain , and it is possibly that they may do so fiarly regularly in very small numbers .
click on photo for larger image . hornemann ' s hoary redpoll at marathon , ontario , on 9 november 2012 . note larger size . photo by michael butler .
the male common redpoll is distinctive during the breeding season , when the crown , cheeks , forehead , breast and rump become deep red ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 6 ) . the female is similar in appearance to the male , but is usually slightly darker and more streaked , with red colouration restricted to the forehead and crown ( 2 ) ( 5 ) . both sexes have black lores and a grey - brown face with a black chin ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 6 ) . the common redpoll is paler in winter , with pale buff feather tips ( 3 ) ( 5 ) .
the common redpoll is protected in north america by the migratory bird treaty act , as well as by various national and state laws ( 5 ) . no other specific conservation measures are currently known to be in place for this small , hardy bird , although it may benefit from further investigations to clarify its taxonomy ( 5 ) .
bock , c . e . 1982b . synchronous fluctuations in christmas bird counts of common redpolls and piñon jays . auk no . 99 : 382 - 383 . close
knox , a . g . and p . e . lowther . 2000 . common redpoll ( carduelis flammea ) . species account number 543 . the birds of north america online ( a . poole , ed . ) . ithaca , ny : cornell laboratory of ornithology ; retrieved 3 / 25 / 2008 from the birds of north america online database
redpolls are fairly common , especially at higher elevations in the south island . they are also common on the chatham islands , and campbell and macquarie islands ; with lower numbers present on other outlying islands . however , there seems to have been a decline in the abundance of this species in recent years , especially in parts of the north island .
angus , d . j . 2013 . redpoll . in miskelly , c . m . ( ed . ) new zealand birds online . www . nzbirdsonline . org . nz
behaviour in the wild : the common redpoll feeds mainly on seeds , buds and small invertebrates . seeds and plant matter are consumed almost all year round . the diet includes catkins , seeds and buds of willows , alders and birches , seeds of small conifers and of numerous weeds and grasses . however , it feeds on insects during summer while breeding .
this shows selected western band recoveries of common redpolls , and the obvious suggestion is that some of the common redpolls being seen in the east right now might be coming from alaska ! troy ( 1983 ) shows a map with a similar pattern , including a redpoll that traveled from new hampshire to barrow , alaska , and another that traveled from michigan to siberia . lots of redpolls also come to the eastern us from the north or northeast , but we should not assume that we are only seeing redpolls from the nearby subarctic regions .
look for common redpolls in northern habitats ranging from willow flats to open conifer forest to open , weedy fields . they visit backyard bird feeders as well , especially during the winter .
this species often comes to bird feeders . find out more about what this bird likes to eat and what feeder is best by using the project feederwatch common feeder birds bird list .
this tiny finch - only slightly bigger than a blue tit - is streaky and brown with patches of red on its head and sometimes its breast . they like to hang upside down to feed in trees . it has recently been ' split ' from the mealy ( or common ) redpoll , a larger and paler species which is a winter visitor to the uk .
pulliainen , e . and v . peiponen . 1981 . on the breeding of the redpoll carduelis flammea in ne finland . ornis fenn . no . 58 : 109 - 116 . close
both the male and female common redpoll have black or blackish - brown legs and feet , and a short , stubby , conical bill ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) . the bill is horn - coloured with a dark tip during the breeding season , but light yellow with a black tip for the rest of the year ( 5 ) .
common redpolls eat seeds of a size to match their small bills . they’re particularly likely to come to thistle or nyjer feeders , though they may also take black oil sunflower or scavenge opened seeds left behind by larger - billed birds . find out more about what this bird likes to eat and what feeder is best by using the project feederwatch common feeder birds bird list .
common nighthawk season in my area of the pacific northwest kicks off in june , indicating summer is upon us and it ' s time to head to higher elevations to c . . .
the diet of the common redpoll is primarily composed of small seeds , such as those of birch , willow and alder , as well as conifers , grasses and weeds . it also eats other plant parts , including buds , shoots , leaves , fruit and catkins , as well as some invertebrates in summer ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) . nestling common redpolls are fed mainly on soft - bodied invertebrates , although in some areas they are reportedly fed almost entirely on the seeds of cottongrass ( eriphorum species ) ( 2 ) ( 5 ) .
if you ' re not yet confused and you can ' t get enough , check andy warr ' s detailed overview of redpoll subspecies ( most of which we share ) found in the uk .
outside of the breeding season , the common redpoll is found in open woodland and scrub , along field edges , and sometimes around towns and villages ( 2 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 11 ) . in greenland , this species winters in valleys and on slopes of the drier interior of the country , only occurring around the coast when snow thaws ( 2 ) ( 5 ) .
just seeing one or two possible indications of a particular redpoll isn ' t always enough to be confident about the bird species , particularly when these small , active birds flit around without providing good , clear views . with so much overlap between common redpolls and hoary redpolls , it is better to take note of multiple field marks and repeated observations to be certain of the bird ' s true identity .
the redpoll is widespread throughout the south island , and is also found on many off - shore islands . in the north island , it is found in all regions , but is generally less abundant than in the south island . the redpoll has colonised many outlying islands ; it is a common resident on the chatham islands , and campbell and macquarie islands . smaller numbers are present on snares , antipodes and auckland islands , and it has been recorded as a vagrant on the kermadecs and lord howe islands . single birds were recorded on the bounty islands in december 1990 , and in vanuatu in 1992 .
wings : common redpolls are overall darker and while they do show white wing bars , the bars are thinner and less well defined than on hoary redpolls , which have much more white in the wings .
common redpolls eat tiny seeds , especially those from willow , birch , and alder trees . they also eat buds , weeds , grasses , and insects . they feed insects and spiders to their young .
greater redpoll ( rostrata ) in toronto on 20 march 2011 . more extensive black on face and chin , darker and browner overall , more coarsely streaked , and with a longer tail than in southern flammea .
today , the lesser redpoll population is about one - tenth of what it was in the 1970s and yet this delightful little bird has only recently been moved to the red list of species of conservation concern .
the hoary redpoll will breed in open tundra , but usually in small willows and other shrubs in sheltered areas . when suitable nest sites are unavailable , it has been known to nest in cavities in driftwood .
in many areas , winter is the easiest time to see lesser redpolls , after the trees have lost their leaves . their breeding population has declined and they ' re much less common than they once were .
great care is needed to separate the common from the very similar - looking hoary . the breeding adult male hoary is a very frosty white above , and white below with a very pale pink blush on breast . females and immatures are much more difficult ; rely on the differences in bill size and shape , the presence or absence of streaking on the rump , the quality of the streaking on the flanks and undertail coverts , and to a lesser degree , location . the juvenile common can resemble a juvenile pine siskin , but it lacks yellow in the wing . the extent of interbreeding between common and hoary redpolls is unknown .
redpoll is one of the species that ornithologists do not seem able to decide on whether there are several species , subspecies or races . to skirt around this issue , i refer to them as
types
.
southern hoary redpolls ( exilipes ) are paler overall caused by whiter feather edgings so that hoaries look like common redpolls seen through a white veil ( taverner 1934 ) . norland , ontario , on 3 january 2008 .
there are people here who know more about this than me but i ' ll get the ball rolling . . . redpoll taxonomy is not really settled . but at present the bou recognises three species - lesser , mealy ( also known as common ) and arctic ( also known as hoary ) . there are three recognised subspecies of mealy and two of arctic but i ' m not going to worry about that for now : )
the common redpoll forages very actively in trees , low vegetation , shrubs and weeds and on the ground . in alaska , it also forages in holes and under the snow . it feeds acrobatically , clinging to the vegetation and hanging upside - down on cones or catkins and outermost branches . it also perches on twigs and bent them to reach the seeds . it often feeds with flocks of eurasian siskins . it also frequents feeders .
appearance : a small pale greyish finch with darker streaks and a red forehead patch . slightly darker and more streaked in appearance than otherwise similar arctic redpoll . rump streaked , vent has a single broad dark longwise streak .
greater ( rostrata ) in toronto on 8 march 2011 . more extensive black on face and chin , darker overall , browner , more coarsely streaked , with darker face and a longer tail than in southern common flammea .
wetherbee , o . p . 1937 . a study of wintering hoary , common , and greater redpolls , and various intermediates or hybrids . bird - banding 8 ( 1 ) : 1 - 10 [ pdf ] .
during the summer , common redpolls are found in boreal and taiga regions of both the old and new world arctic , where they are often among the most common breeding passerines . in north america , their distribution shows significant overlap with human populations only in winter , and then only in alternating irruption years . the irruption cycle displayed by this species is driven by widespread failure in seed - crop production among high - latitude tree species—especially spruce (
the common redpoll has a range of vocalisations , including a distinctive , metallic ‘ chuch - uch - uch - uch ’ , an energetic ‘ errr - errr ’ and a rising ‘ tsooee ’ . the song of this species consists of varying combinations of repeated call notes , ending in a long trill , and may be given from a perch or during a flight display ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 7 ) .
some photos and discussion of greater common redpolls from toronto already this winter are available here . and a detailed discussion with photos of specimens by the maryland / district of columbia records commmittee is here ( beginning on page 16 ) .
the hoary redpoll has very fluffy body feathers that help it stay warm in extremely cold temperatures . in addition , it has feathers on areas of its body that are bare in most other birds . if temperatures get too high , a redpoll may pluck out some of its body feathers and get rid of some of its insulation . these feathers will grow back in a few days , but by then in the high arctic environment , temperatures probably will have dropped back to normal .
common redpolls are brown and white birds with heavily streaked sides . look for a small red forehead patch , black feathering around a yellow bill , and two white wingbars . males have a pale red vest on the chest and upper flanks .
facial colors : both birds have a dark mask surrounding the bill and extending onto the chin , but the common ' s mask is larger and more prominent . the hoary ' s mask is smaller and may be more well - defined .
the common redpoll breeds in a variety of habitats , including tundra , heaths , ravines and slopes with stunted bushes and trees , as well as in open coniferous and broadleaf forest and scrub . it is often associated with species such as birch ( betula spp . ) , willow ( salix spp . ) , spruce ( picea spp . ) , alder ( alnus spp . ) and other low shrubs ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 11 ) .
common redpolls are small finches with a distinctive red patch on the crown . they were introduced from britain between 1862 and 1875 , and are now common in hill - country throughout much of new zealand during the breeding season . redpolls are frequently seen in flocks interspersed with other finches in the lowlands in winter . they feed mainly on a range of smaller seeds . these are frequently taken while hanging upside - down from seed heads or the cones of trees such as birch and alder .
redpoll feed usually feed among the branches of trees where they are quite nimble and can hang upside - down . they feed on very small seeds , like alders , spruce , and birch . during the breeding season they also feed on insects .
i have always presumed that all mine are lesser redpoll although i ' ve never had them all checked out . as you will see from the photo below they can vary quite a bit in the amounts of brown / red / white on them .
similar species : from a distance , the redpoll could be confused with a female house sparrow , which is similarly streaked . however , the sparrow is a larger bird with a heavier bill , and it also lacks any red or pink in its plumage .
click on photo for larger image . hornemann ' s hoary redpoll at our feeders in toronto on 12 march 2011 . aged and sexed as a probable first year female in formative plumage by the prominent streaking on its sides . note its heavily feathered leggings .
while there is no reliable information on population trends , common redpolls breed in regions and habitats that are not generally subject to habitat degradation . their wintering range is extensive , and they are flexible , quickly moving on to new areas if others are unsuitable .
the common redpoll male adult in non - breeding plumage is paler and greyer on head and nape with pale neck sides . the upperparts are buffy - brown with paler centres of mantle and back and with brown streaks . the tail is dark grey with greyish - white fringes . the upperwing shows more pale tips to coverts , and broader pale grey fringes to flight - feathers . on the underparts , throat and breast are white or greyish with brownish streaks , becoming pink in worn plumage . flanks are tinged buff - brown .
point observations were associated with that system . common versus occasional association with an ecological system was assigned based on the degree to which the structural characteristics of an ecological system matched the preferred structural habitat characteristics for each species as represented in scientific literature . the percentage of observations associated with each ecological system relative to the percent of montana covered by each ecological system was also used to guide assignment of common versus occasional association . if you have any questions or comments on species associations with ecological systems , please contact the montana natural heritage program ' s senior zoologist .
the lesser redpoll is a small , dumpy bird whose upperparts are grey - brown with darker streaks . they have two buff coloured wing bars , dark streaks on the whitish flanks and a dark brown forked tail . however , the most distinguishing features are the red forehead and black bib .
common redpolls breed in the sub - arctic . if enough food is available , many birds will remain on the breeding grounds in winter , but many birds move south . the winter range is variable , based on food supply , but generally encompasses the northern tier of the united states .
the common redpoll adult male is a small grey to brownish - grey finch , with conical bill and slightly forked tail . the upperparts show extensive dark grey - brown streaking , with whitish fringes to mantle feathers and scapulars . the greyish - white rump is tinged pink , the uppertail - coverts are grey - brown with dark centres , and the tail is dark grey with narrow buffy - white edges . the upperwing is dark brown and shows a double pale wingbar formed by the white or whitish - buff tips of median and greater wing - coverts . the flight - feathers show narrow pale edges .
this may be the first photo ever published of a juvenile hornemann ' s hoary redpoll . pond inlet , north baffin island , nunavut , canada on 30 august 2015 . it was a great thrill to see this most northerly and largest of the redpolls on its breeding grounds . photo by ian scriver .
crown : the most colorful field mark of both these birds is the bright red patch on the crown , but the common ' s patch is often larger and may extend further back on the head . the hoary ' s red crown patch is more compact and restricted to the front of the crown .
marthinsen , g . , wennerberg , l . and lifjeld , j . t . ( 2008 ) low support for separate species within the redpoll complex ( carduelis flammea - hornemanni - cabaret ) from analyses of mtdna and microsatellite markers . molecular phylogenetics and evolution , 47 ( 3 ) : 1005 - 1017 .
knox , a . and p . e . lowther . 2000b .
hoary redpoll ( c . hornemanni ) .
in the birds of north america , no . 544 . , edited by a . poole and f . gill . philadelphia , pa : the birds of north america , inc . close
redpolls are arctic and sub - arctic breeders , and common redpolls typically breed in open coniferous forests and shrubby birch and alder thickets . during winter they inhabit various kinds of semi - open country , including woodland edges and brushy or weedy fields . they can often be found in birch , alder , or willow patches .
winter visitors , common redpolls vary in abundance and location from year to year . they are most regular in the northern portion of the state and in far eastern washington , where they are generally present every winter . they are rare in western washington . they are often found with flocks of pine siskins and american goldfinches .
calls and songs : sounds by xeno - canto the common redpoll gives twitter call “djek - djek - djek” . other calls include a ringing “tsooeet” rising at the end , and often accompanied by twittering . the alarm call is an explosive “chek” or “tek” . the advertising song given during territorial behaviour is a series of “teu - teu - teu - teu” followed by dry or buzzy “trrrrrreeeee” . a shorter “tirr” or “serrrrr” is given in flight or from perch . during aggressive encounters , the male gives loud , harsh “chak” . the race “ rostrata ” gives louder and harsher calls than nominate . the race “ cabaret ” utters similar calls and songs that “ flammea ” .
there are small differences between common and hoary redpolls that can help birders distinguish between the two , but very careful observation is necessary to be certain . even then , there is often overlap between the species , and because they can breed with one another some mixtures can be indeterminate . for a confident identification , focus on these characteristics :
adult female and immature male / female common redpolls are similar during the first fall and winter . outer tail feathers are more strongly tapered on first - years , but that can be difficult to see in the field . the following is a link to this photographer ' s website : urltoken . , jan 18 , 2013 ; photographer raymond lee
common redpolls and hoary redpolls are so very similar that even expert birders have difficulty telling the two species apart , but with practice you can become confident in identifying these northern finches . while you can ' t always be sure which one you ' ve seen , knowing their characteristics can help you better enjoy and appreciate both of these hardy birds .
) will show four plumage classes due to age and sex differences : adult males , adult females , first year males , and first year females . add another subspecies to the flock and now there are eight possible plumage types . age and sex plus individual variation account for much of the difficulty in distinguishing common and hoary redpolls and their subspecies .
common . breeding : found in the subarctic forests and tundra across northern canada and much of alaska . the rostrata breeds in tundra scrub , where it overlaps with the hoary . winter : forms large flocks . irruptive migrant south through much of canada to northern united states generally winters farther south than hoary . vagrant : casual or accidental anywhere in southern united states .
lesser redpolls breed in woodland , but also visit gardens . they can be seen dangling from tiny twigs in birch and alder trees , or perhaps on shrub stems . this is a widespread breeding species in scotland , northern and eastern england and wales . it is less common in central , southern and south - west england , but does occur in these places in winter .
we thank angus baptiste , bill crins , bob curry , bruce di labio , earl godfrey , michel gosselin , brian henshaw , christine kerrigan , ian newton , henri ouellet , mark peck , richard poulin , ron tozer , declan troy and mike turner for much valuable assistance . we are particularly grateful to michel gosselin and declan troy for their insightful discussions on redpoll identification and taxonomy ,
two subspecies of hoary redpoll are recognized : the southern ( c . h . exilpes ) and the greenland ( c . h . hornemanni ) forms . the southern form breeds across canada , alaska , and eurasia , and is slightly darker and sleeker . the greenland form breeds only in the very high arctic of greenland and neighboring canada , and is very pale with a large white rump .
. he and michel gosselin ( canadian museum of nature ) confirmed the id ' s . in print and in on - line publications , these two ornithologists have done much to advance our understanding of redpoll taxonomy and diversity in canada . david sibley has also made some great contributions to the subject . please check the related resources ( below ) for a wealth of ( mostly ) on - line materiel .
among the most sought after winter finches , common redpolls and hoary redpolls can be nearly indistinguishable from one another . in fact , there is debate among ornithologists , naturalists , biologists and birders as to whether they are really separate species or just variations of the same bird . until that debate is settled , however , birders have to rely on subtle clues and fine details to tell these two birds apart .
common redpolls eat mainly small seeds , typically of trees such as birch , willow , alder , spruces , and pines , but also of grasses , sedges , and wildflowers such as buttercups and mustards , and occasional berries . during summer they also eat considerable numbers of spiders and insects . winter diet is largely birch and alder seeds or , at feeders , millet and thistle or nyjer seed . back to top
the common redpoll can be resident , migratory and irruptive . most birds migrate after breeding to non - breeding grounds , with passage mostly between october and mid - november , but sometimes as soon as mid - september in irruption years . the movements vary every year depending on birch seed crop . most movements are related to food supply , more than to cold weather . the return migration can be prolonged from mid - april to early june . the race “ rostrata ” is a vagrant in azores . the race “ cabaret ” is both resident and migratory . the alpine breeders are sedentary or may perform some altitudinal movements over short distances . movements are related to birch seed crop . it is vagrant in iceland . during migrations , they may form small to large flocks , from up to 100 in “ cabaret ” to thousands in nominate race .
twite are another potential confusion species . they are quite scarce in most parts of the uk apart from the pennines and scotland in the breeding season and coastal areas in the winter . like the redpoll , they are a small finch with streaky brown plumage and pale bill , but lack the red forehead . in breeding plumage , the male twite has a pink rump . the call of the twite is similar to that of the linnet .
a . f . flammea or mealy redpoll ( described above ) breeds from iceland and scandinavia , e across n and c russia and siberia to kamchatka and bering sea , s to c urals , stanovoy mts , amurland and sakhalin , and also in n north america from alaska e to newfoundland . it winters s to nw and c europe , c and e asia s to mongolia , ne china , korea , japan and also in n and c usa ( s to oregon , colorado and south carolina ) .
a . f . cabaret or lesser redpoll breeds in british islands , sw norway , s sweden , denmark and n and ne france , e to belgium and netherlands . it also occurs in n and c germany , alps from se france to austria , and carpathians . it is widespread in nc and s europe outside the breeding season . it was introduced in new zealand where it is widespread throughout the south island and occurs on many offshore islands . this race is smaller and browner , with strong buff - brown tones to mantle and breast sides , contrasting with the white centre of the breast .
a . f . rostrata or greenland redpoll breeds in ne canada , w and se greenland and iceland . it winters in e canada , ne usa , iceland and nw british islands . this race is larger than nominate , with larger bill and longer wings . the upperparts are browner and heavily streaked , the rump may be whiter with dark streaks . lores , chin and throat are more extensively black . breast sides , flanks and undertail - coverts are heavily streaked dark brown . in summer , the male has less extensive pink on breast , while rest of underparts are whitish . there are broad wingbars , mainly on greater coverts .
finches of the family fringillidae are multicolored seedeaters with buoyant and undulating flight , and include redpolls , siskins , goldfinches , crossbills and grosbeaks . many species nest in the far north at high elevations . the word finch , derived from the anglo - saxon word
finc ,
is possibly an imitation of their song . the genus carduelis includes redpolls , pine siskins and goldfinches . all species of this genus are known to incorporate imitations of other species ' calls into their songs , although redpolls do this the least . common redpolls are tame and gregarious finches of the subarctic . their latin name , carduelis flammea , means
red flame - colored
and refers to their crimson
poll
or forecrown .