Scanning Fields for Snowy Flocks
By Scott Johnson 

Move over weird ducks, it’s winter passerine season!! Just kidding, weird duck season is one of, if not my most, favorite season. Wintertime in Central Indiana can certainly feel like a slog when it’s cold and windy outside with hardly any sunlight. It’s easy to stay inside and hibernate until spring migration. This is why I’m here, to get everyone out of the house and excited to bird by car this winter!  We’ll quickly explore the three most common farmland passerines that can be found here in the winter, Horned Lark, Lapland Longspur, and Snow Bunting, as well as where to go and what else you might find. 

Horned Larks
A year-round resident in the state, Horned Larks are always fun to find, and hear for that matter. Our largest and grumpiest looking winter passerine, when caught in a head-on stare, can make its joyful high pitched tinkling call seem out of place. Males are an overall brown bird with white underparts, a yellow face, black mask, and namesake black “horns”. Females are similar in overall color, without the mask and with a light-yellow wash to no yellow on the face. Juvenile birds are unique, not looking much like the adults as they are much scalier in appearance and can look like a completely different species. All plumages have a small dark bill. A good in-flight indicator is their darker outer tail feathers with lighter central tail feathers.

Lapland Longspur
A common winter resident across Indiana farmland, Lapland Longspurs are another exciting “Little Brown Bird”.  This is the smallest and darkest of the three birds highlighted and their common call is drier and rattle like. All plumages have a rufous nape, greater coverts, and tertials. Saturation of color won’t be as rich in winter plumage. Head pattern is a key feature and can help separate this bird from the others, it also has the stoutest bill of the three. They all have a bold pattern that outlines their ear. A good in-fight indicator is their white outer tail feathers. 

Snow Bunting
Probably the least common of the winter passerines mentioned- as their winter range only covers half of the state- Snow Buntings are, in my opinion, the showstoppers with their white and tan winter plumage. Their songs are finch-like, and their calls remind me of swifts and swallows. In winter the birds’ upperparts are brown steaked with black, and it has a tan crown and cheek patch with a small yellow orange bill. Its underparts are all white with some tan near the breast. They will be the whitest bird in a mixed flock both on the ground and in flight, only the outer primaries are dark with the rest of the primaries being white making it unmistakable in flight. 

Behavior/Habitat
All of these birds can be found in similar habitat during the winter and are often found in large, mixed flocks throughout their winter grounds. They also share similar diets, mostly seeds in the winter but will eat insects when available. From open farmlands to bare patches in short grass fields, and often feeding right next to the road, there is no shortage of places to look for these winter passerines. Horned Larks hunch over and shuffle through the fields as they feed, Lapland Longspurs seem to be less frantic than their counterparts, while Snow Buntings crouch and move quickly while feeding. While all these birds flush easily, especially when close to the road, patience will be in your favor if you’re able to wait as most will return near where they had been flushed within a handful of minutes. 

Where to Go / Tips
Central Indiana is a great place to be when it comes to finding these winter passerines as it’s full of rural farmland not too far outside the city. Lately I’ve found an appreciation for northern Hamilton County and its farmland. While there aren’t lots of places to park and walk around, the roads are relatively quiet allowing for slower birding by car with the windows down. 

St Malachy in Hendricks County is certainly a fan favorite with their property being surrounded by open farmland, and they are kind enough to allow birders access to their facilities. Please keep in mind that there is a school on property, and they have asked that we don’t trek around during school hours. Additionally, E 700 N is closed to the south for through traffic but is still accessible before the road is closed.

Lye Creek Prairie Burn in Montgomery County is really a gem of a property. Surrounded by farmland and gravel roads that are easily walkable, it’s a great place to park and walk around the neighboring fields via the road.  Who knows, you might even spot a Rough-legged Hawk or Ring-necked Pheasant!

Patience is a virtue when driving around country roads looking for passerines but with enough time spent, it can be worth the wait. It’s hard to beat a big mixed flock of larks, longspurs, and buntings flying around a field waiting for them to land. Snow is a birders friend in the winter, especially when searching backroads. Any amount of snow can push birds closer to the roads where it’s either melted or where they can pick up some grit/salt off the road. 

Rarities
One notable rarity from this year was a first state record of Chestnut-collared Longspur found by Kathy Broshous at St Malachy in January 2024. This fall has produced at least one, maybe two, records of the species in southeastern Chicago. The quick differences in Lapland and Chestnut-collared Longspur are Chestnut-collareds have more speckled underparts, they lack the rufous coloration on the wing, and they have shorter primary projections than Lapland Longspur.

Additionally, with the influx in sightings of Snowy Owl it’s a great time to be on the lookout in open farmland and on telephone poles while you’re out looking for winter passerines. Some additional notable birds to be on the lookout for are Rough-legged Hawk, Short-eared Owls, Northern Shrike, and Northern Harriers. 

Final Thoughts
There are many benefits to birding by car during the colder winter months.  Recently, while scouting from my car, I found a few spots that look to be good habitat for our native summer short grass prairie birds: Henslow’s and Grasshopper Sparrow and Bobolink. I would have missed these spots had I not been out looking for winter passerines.

It’s always important to remember that we aren’t the only ones out there and that some people might not like a car driving slowly down the road they live on, or a pile of cars parked of the side of the road looking at birds. Be respectful, be aware of your surroundings, and most importantly be safe. Let’s go out and find that second state record Chestnut-collared Longspur!!!