Corkagh Park

 ..The Redpoll..

The Redpoll is a species of finch that, like the Siskin, lives most of the year in woodland feeding on the seeds of Alder and Birch. In late winter, when food is scarce, they will join Siskins and follow flocks of other finches like Goldfinches to forage for food at Corkagh and in local gardens.

Like other finches they have thick beak well suited to dealing with hard seeds and nuts.

They get their name from the red cap on the front of their forehead. Other than that they are streaky brown but the male develops a red patch on his breast during the breeding season. 

Redpolls almost never nest in suburban areas including Corkagh park.  During the breeding season they are found in upland areas and heavily forested parts where there is a ready supply of the seeds on which they feed their young. 

Unlike most other birds they do not rely on insects for the nestlings and instead will also feed them regurgitated seeds.