Bird Facts- Which Bird Hangs upside down to eat and has a pouch to store food? Wildlife Education Series

Bird Facts and Trivia. Which bird hangs upside down to eat and has a pouch where it stores food.?
If you said the Common Redpole Bird you are correct!

The Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) is an attractive small finch known for its black face, reddish cap and short yellow bill. The male has a rosy breast, while the female does not. Juveniles have similar coloring as adult females. Both sexes are 4-6 inches long with a wingspan of 7-9 inches. They weigh a mere 0.4-0.7 oz.

The Common Redpoll inhabits open woodlands, boreal and birch forests. They are active foragers that consume very small seeds and insects. They join flocks during non-breeding times. In spite of their small size, they are a true northern bird that survives in cold regions with very harsh winters. When food is scarce the Common Redpoll will travel further south. Generally they are only found in North America during the winter season every other year. Common Redpolls have a throat pouch were they temporarily store seeds. They can be seen rapidly filling their pouches then fly away to eat the seeds in a protected area. The Common Redpoll use their feet to hold their food and will often feed upside down. They have a preference for bird feeders with thistle seed.

During breeding season they inhabit open coniferous forests and shrubs in subarctic regions. They tend to avoid dense forests. In the winter they inhabit open woodlands, scrub, fields and tall weedy areas. The Common Redpoll builds their nests in bushy thickets or small trees. The nest is an open bowl shape with fine twigs and grass and lined with a collection of hair and feathers. The female lays 2-7 pale blue to green eggs. The egg is spotted with purple at the largest end. Chicks are born helpless with very little down for warmth.

View a Photo of the Common Redpole Bird
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