The weather in Indiana is unpredictable in the winter and so are the birds that travel throughout the Hoosier state. Most commonly, you can find year-round residents like cardinals, blue jays, house sparrows, finches, and woodpeckers, but other sightings change depending on the fluctuating warmth of the Indiana sun in the early part of the year. Grab your binoculars and see if you can spot these winged, winter creatures!
Starlings
You may catch a flock or gaggle of these insatiable birds descending on a feeder or two in the winter months. While other birds may be gone after the first snow, starlings will be around all winter.
Canadian Geese
A few mallards of Canadian Geese can be spotted in the winter on lakes and rivers across Indiana. You can find them and ducks just until the freezing ice puts a lid on lakes, ponds, and marshes.
Great Horned Owl
You may hear these owls call often at dusk. Their hoots are meant to communicate with each other but they also let bird watchers know when they are out and starting their late-winter nesting cycle.
Redpolls
Be sure to check for the rare hoary redpoll through binoculars when bird watching. Every so often, Hoosier bird watchers recall winters when these birds seemed to have been everywhere.
