With the hard work of raising young behind them, many birds shed their tired, worn-out feathers (a process called molting) in winter and replace them with new ones. But not all birds make a simple one-for-one swap.

Some species turn dull, while others nearly completely flip their plumages. Here are a few to keep an eye out for:

American Goldfinch
Adult male goldfinches in breeding plumage might be described as the color of a ripe lemon, and as they are among the latest nesters in our state, we get to enjoy it all summer long. When they turn, they go from lemon to olive shades, retaining some yellow around the face to remind us just who they are. Sibley Guides offers an excellent illustration of this transformation.

Common and Red-throated Loons
Had the latter been named by a Massachusetts ornithologist, it would have carried a much more boring name. We don’t get the pleasure of seeing the red throats; instead we see gray. With common loons, we watch the change from sharply-defined black and white features on the head and back to thoroughly drab plumage making them easily confused with “red throats.”

Black Guillemot
Even with a good bird guide, one has to step back from the scope and consider the date. If it’s December in Massachusetts, look for an all-white bird with black markings. If it’s July in Maine, keep an eye out for an all-black bird with a white wing patch.

Dunlin
We only have a handful of nesting shorebirds in Massachusetts. Many more pass through on the way to the Arctic in the spring and summer. When we get them on the way back, many of them retain their breeding plumage for a while, some even losing it altogether. For instance, we can see dunlins with their black breeding patches on their bellies, before they fade for the winter.

Learn more about birds in winter by joining us for an upcoming bird walk.

Photo of American Goldfinch in winter via Valerie Reneé/flickr

We have turned the seasonal corner. The swallows are gone, the egrets have fled, and  shorebirds and warblers have pushed their way south. You may well ask, “What do we do we look for now?”

In many ways, Massachusetts is perfectly suited for winter birding, thanks in part to our remarkable landscape. We have sandy beaches, mountains, ponds, lakes, rivers, swamps, marshes, bogs, forests of different kinds, moorlands, grasslands, urban parks, and so much more.

We are primed to attract—and provide food and shelter for—dozens of species of birds. Here are just a few to look for.

Fall and Winter Birding Checklist

• Ducks. Look for greater and lesser scaups, buffleheads, and ring-necked ducks. Western prairie pothole ducks like redheads and canvasbacks can be found on ponds. The ocean is home to three species of scoter (surf, white-winged, and black) as well as horned and red-necked grebes, long-tailed ducks, and common goldeneyes.
• Purple sandpiper. The first of November usually heralds their arrival on the jetties and breakwaters.
• Snow buntings and horned larks. While seeking these out on the beach, look closely at their flocks: a Lapland longspur may be in the mix.
• Birds of prey. Recently cut grasslands exposes mice and voles, which attract northern harriers, rough-legged hawks, and even short-eared owls.
• Feeder area birds. You just never know when your house finches and tufted titmice are going to be joined by a red-breasted nuthatch or, better yet, a fox sparrow.
• Dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows. These species come at us from two directions. Many of them slide down the map from the north, but others descend from breeding habitat in the western part of the state, up high on the mountains.
• Snowy owls. If you’re within striking distance of the beaches of the North Shore, South Shore, and Cape Cod, keep an eye out for the avian kings and queens of a Massachusetts winter. The species is irruptive, meaning it shows up seemingly randomly, in great numbers in some years, not at all in others.
• Alcids. And if you are at one of those beaches, don’t forget to look seaward for potential black guillemots, dovekies, murres, razorbills, and (if you’re extremely lucky) Atlantic puffins.
• Winter finches. Speaking of irruptions, nothing is as unpredictable as a “winter finch” invasion. This year, to date, we’ve seen crossbills, evening grosbeaks, and pine siskins in big flocks. Are the bohemian waxwings and common and hoary redpolls far behind?

Join us on an upcoming bird walk. You never know what you will see, but that’s half the fun! And do tell: What’s your favorite fall/winter bird?

Photo:  purple sandpiper © Richard Johnson