26 February 2025
When I was in Minnesota in February 2014 I saw Life Birds that can’t be seen in Pittsburgh. Six are shown above plus a potential Life Bird — the boreal owl. Four of the seven occur across northern North America and Eurasia. The other three are found only in North America.
- Boreal owl (Aegolius funereus), known as Tengmalm’s Owl in Eurasia
- Northern hawk owl (Surnia ulula), also in Eurasia
- Black-backed woodpecker (Picoides arcticus), North America only
- Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis), North America only, used to be called the gray jay
- Boreal chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus) North America only
- Bohemian waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus), also in Eurasia
- Pine grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator), also in Eurasia
Have been lots of Black-Backed Woodpeckers up at my Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders, and a pair of 3 Toed! (Drumming early morning around 8:30 next to the feeders). Frank knows me and the location of the feeders … well inland from Two Harbors.