Species: Acanthis flammea
Common Redpoll
Species
Show on Lists
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Aves
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Fringillidae
Genus
Acanthis
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
sizerin flammé
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Perching Birds
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Passeriformes - Fringillidae - Acanthis - [Lesser Redpoll], recently treated as a separate species by Knox et al. (2001).Species limits in the redpolls are complex, with from one to four species recognized (AOU 1998). Seutin et al. (1992, 1993) found that two relatively distinct redpoll forms breed at Churchill, Manitoba, but could not distinguish whether they were specifically distinct or the product of different types of intraspecific genetic or ecophenotypic polymorphisms. Seutin et al. (1995) examined rangewide mtDNA variation in redpolls and found little differentiation among the nominal species and subspecies.
Ecology and Life History
Migration
true - true - true - Irruptive winter migrant to areas south of Canada. Flocks migrate to northern nesting areas by mid-March (Terres 1980). Arrives in Beaufort Sea area by May (Johnson and Herter 1989). Rare fall vagrant in northwestern Hawaii (Pratt et al. 1987).
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
true
Food Comments
Eats seeds of birches, alders, willows, pines, elms, grasses, etc. Forages in trees or on the ground. Also eats insects during the summer.
Reproduction Comments
Nests are initiated usually in June in the Beaufort Sea area. Clutch size is 4-5, sometimes up to 7. Incubation, by female, lasts 10-11 days (Terres 1980). Young are tended by both adults, leave nest in 11-16 days. Females have the capacity to double-clutch. Pairs may nest near each other.
Ecology Comments
May travel in large flocks in winter.<br><br>Weakly territorial (Knox and Lowther 2000); individuals move up to 20 kilometers while foraging during breeding season (Molau 1985).<br>
Length
13
Weight
13
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-12-04
Global Status Last Changed
1996-12-04
Other Status
LC - Least concern
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.AB=__&CA.BC=S4&CA.LB=S5&CA.MB=S5&CA.NB=__&CA.NF=S5&CA.NT=S5&CA.NS=__&CA.NU=SNR&CA.ON=S4&CA.PE=__&CA.QC=S5&CA.SK=S4&CA.YT=S5&US.AL=__&US.AK=S5&US.AR=__&US.CO=__&US.DC=__&US.ID=__&US.IL=__&US.IN=__&US.IA=__&US.KS=__&US.KY=__&US.ME=__&US.MD=__&US.MA=__&US.MI=__&US.MN=__&US.MO=__&US.MT=__&US.NE=__&US.NH=__&US.NJ=__&US.NY=__&US.NC=__&US.ND=__&US.OH=__&US.OR=__&US.PA=__&US.RI=__&US.SD=__&US.UT=__&US.VT=__&US.VA=__&US.WA=__&US.WV=__&US.WI=__&US.WY=__" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
Circumpolar in Arctic and Subarctic. BREEDS: in North America, from western and northern Alaska, northern Yukon, east to northern Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. WINTERS: central Alaska, southern nesting range in Canada to northern California, northern Nevada, northern Utah, central Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, South Carolina (AOU 1983).