91调教

As snowfall blankets the River Valley, bird watchers are flocking to their windows and feeders, enjoying the return of familiar species and rare winter visitors. Dr. Ragupathy Kannan, professor of ornithology at the 91调教 鈥� Fort Smith, says cold weather brings an ideal opportunity to observe a variety of birds.

鈥淛uncos are sometimes called snowbirds since they show up with the first snow,鈥� Kannan said, referring to the slate-colored Dark-eyed Juncos that often arrive in flocks beneath bushes and feeders. Other common winter birds in the area include American Robins, Northern Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice.

Kannan recommends offering black-oil sunflower seeds to help these birds stay nourished, especially when snow limits access to natural food sources. 鈥淭hese sunflower seeds are full of fats and carbs that keep the birds warm,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd Blue Jays are always attracted to shelled peanuts 鈥� unsalted, please!鈥�

Kannan also highlighted several less-common winter species, including yellow-bellied sapsuckers, white-throated sparrows and short-eared owls. 鈥淭he owls are especially fun to watch because they even fly about in daytime,鈥� he said. Short-eared owls are best seen in open grassy areas, particularly around Charleston and Fort Chaffee.

One particularly rare but possible visitor this winter is the Snowy Owl. 鈥淎 Snowy Owl would absolutely create a sensation since they鈥檙e rare so far south, but they have shown up in Tulsa and surrounding areas, so it is possible,鈥� Kannan said.

Birders should also be on alert for Common Redpolls, an irruptive species from the far north that sometimes travels deep into the southern U.S. during harsh winters. These small, red-tinged birds may show up at feeders across 91调教 this season. For identification tips, Kannan recommends the Cornell Lab of Ornithology鈥檚 guide: .

To ensure birds can access food during heavy snowfall, Kannan advises spreading seed on hard surfaces, in trays or elevated feeders so the food doesn鈥檛 sink below the snow.

Those interested in contributing to bird conservation and research can upload observations and photos through free accounts at eBird.org, Cornell鈥檚 citizen science platform. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an excellent (and fun to use!) portal for uploading checklists, photos, audios and even videos,鈥� Kannan said. 鈥淚t automatically keeps track of the number of species you鈥檝e seen, your birding locations, your monthly and yearly progress in birding, and more.鈥�

Locally, 91调教 supports a biodiversity monitoring initiative through iNaturalist, a free mobile app that allows users to contribute to a campus-wide citizen science project. Community members are encouraged to join the 鈥淏iodiversity of 91调教 Campus鈥� project at  and help document birds and other wildlife throughout the year.

For students looking to expand their birding horizons, Kannan also leads international nature trips. Recent expeditions include birding bioblitzes in Costa Rica and Panama through 91调教 Audubon, with documentation available on iNaturalist at  and .

Back home, Kannan鈥檚 ornithology students at 91调教 have studied bird populations at locations including the  and . These studies are available online, as are samples of audio and photos from study abroad trips he led through  and .

For more resources, birders can visit  for ID guides and bird behavior, and  to contribute to global bird monitoring efforts.