This winter large numbers of redpolls have been observed at bird feeders, from Fairbanks to Anchorage. ADFG reports that mass mortality events of redpolls have also been observed. ADFG advises homeowners not to handle dead or sick birds, and to prevent pets from coming in contact with them. Bird illness may be caused by a bacteria that could also affect people and pets.

I was watching a flock of redpolls at my feeder when I noticed one unusual member with a huge white body. See photo.

After a record-low last winter, the birds are making a comeback. Redpolls, seen in two varieties in Alaska — the common and the hoary — have attracted scientists’ attention because the birds survive super-cold temperatures. Physiologist Laurence Irving ranked redpolls’ feathers just behind pine grosbeaks for “apparent usefulness for insulation.”Redpolls have a secret weapon other small birds, including chickadees, don’t possess: food pouches on each side of their necks.