Too bad you forgot to fill it up. Now is the time to prepare your backyard habitat for visits from wintering birds. You will be surprised at how entertaining they can be on days when Mother Nature snows you in. House finches, chickadees, white-crowned sparrows, goldfinches, and of course, cardinals, to name a few. Female and young male house finches are streaked light and dark brown.
Older males have red streaks near the head and back.
Chickadees are identified by their black or brown caps and bibs. White-crowned sparrows have puffy white crowns with gray and brown streaked backs. Eastern bluebirds are also sometimes spotted in these parts. These brilliant blue and reddish-orange songbirds were once abundant in Arkansas. However, a loss of natural nesting holes and an increase in pesticide usage has caused a downward trend in their population.