By Cedar Jones, Kroening Nature Center Naturalist
There are many birds that stay in Minnesota year-round. Nine species of woodpeckers choose not to migrate in the fall. We can hear them all year long! You are most likely to see Downy, Hairy, and Red-Bellied woodpeckers at suet birdfeeders. Last winter, we were especially lucky to have a Pileated woodpecker visit the Nature Center!
Woodpeckers have excellent hunting skills that help them make the best of these cold months. They have incredibly long tongues that wrap around their skull. The Northern Flicker has a tongue that sticks out two inches past the tip of its bill. For comparison, if humans were woodpeckers, we would have tongues that measured two feet past our mouths! While this wouldn’t be super helpful for us, woodpeckers use this with their sticky spit to be able to efficiently grasp insects hiding in bark crevices. By having specific tools to help them hunt for food, woodpeckers can stay throughout the winter with plenty of resources. The next time you’re outside, see if you can find any bird-made holes in pine and spruce trees.
Feeling like trying a new winter activity, but don’t know where to start? Check out binoculars, snowshoes or trekking poles for free at the Kroening Nature Center front desk! Equipment must be used within the park for same-day use. Naturalists are happy to give tutorials on how to properly fit your gear. We also have a variety of naturalist-led programs for all ages this winter, including snowshoeing, birding, animal tracking and nature art! There’s something for everyone to enjoy this winter. Explore the Nature in the City exhibit, search for signs of nature on a guided scavenger hunt, or take a lunch break observing different birds that visit our busy bird feeder station!
To learn more about local birds and wildlife from our neighborhood, join one of our programs this month! Visit minneapolisparks.org/nature for details and registration.
Nature Art: Winter Arts and Animals · Saturday, February 4, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free for all ages (activity #136249) Meet some Minnesota animals up-close, then let nature inspire your creation of winter themed artwork to take home.
Noticing Nature on Snowshoes · Thursday, February 9, 1-2:30 p.m. Free for ages 18+ (activity #140522) Take a peaceful hike through the park with a naturalist guide to hone your nature observation abilities along our prairie, woodland and river trails! Snowshoes provided. MPS Community Education collaboration.
Birding on Snowshoes · Saturday, February 11, 10-11:30 a.m. Free for ages 8+ (activity #136203) Join a naturalist for birding and snowshoeing along our prairie, woodland and river trails! Snowshoes and binoculars provided.
Homeschool: Wild Canines · Thursday, February 16, 1-3 p.m. $5/student for ages 6-14 (activity #136244) Learn about foxes and coyotes that live in our parks and neighborhoods while exploring track patterns, adaptions and how their behaviors differ from the domesticated members of their species.
Nature Art: Colors and Ice * Saturday, February 18, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free for all ages (activity #136245) Make colorfully cold creations on a canvas of snow! Create murals of color, sculpt snow figures and create beautiful mini ice castles outside.
Animal Tracking · Saturday, February 25, 10-11:30 a.m. Free for all ages (activity #140564) Join Bill Kass, a certified member of the MN Tracking Club, to learn how to identify animals that make North Mississippi Regional Park their home. This class will consist of a classroom introduction followed by exploration along the river and through the woods in search of clues.
This article was written using information from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.