GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) – The late-season winter storm that snarled traffic and grounded planes in Connecticut last week also caused another kind of travel delay.
Fox sparrows, which migrate north to Canada in mid-March, happened to be passing through Connecticut when the storm hit Feb. 16. They were grounded by the harsh conditions and difficulty of finding food afterward on the snow-covered ground, bird experts say.
Now, the rarely seen birds are showing up in groups of a dozen or more at bird feeders and in back yards throughout the state. It’s provided an unexpected treat for bird-watchers who consider themselves lucky to catch a glimpse of one or two of the petite songbirds each spring.
“It’s the type of species that you almost never see incidentally,” said Patrick Comins, bird conservation director for Audubon Connecticut.
The birds, recognizable by their gray faces, red body streaks and rust-colored tail, are primarily ground-feeders.
The snow and ice cover makes it difficult for them to scavenge for fruit, seeds and insects, so they are heading for bird feeders as an easy source of food.
Their visit here is probably close to its end, however, because they can find more food on the ground now as temperatures rise and the ice and snow starts melting.
Veteran bird-watchers say many of the fox sparrows have already begun to disperse and, very soon, they will disappear just as dramatically as they arrived.
“I’m thrilled to see them because they are absolutely one of my favorite birds,” said Ted Gilman, an educator with Audubon Greenwich. “They have kind of a sweet plaintive call I don’t get to hear that often.”
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