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Common Redpoll Identification

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The Four Keys to ID

  • Size & Shape

    Common Redpolls are small songbirds with small heads and small, pointed, seed-eating bills. The tail is short with a small notch at the tip.

    Relative Size

    About the size of an American Goldfinch.

    Relative Sizesparrow or smallersparrow-sized or smaller

    Measurements
    • Both Sexes
      • Length: 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm)
      • Weight: 0.4-0.7 oz (11-20 g)
      • Wingspan: 7.5-8.7 in (19-22 cm)

Regional Differences

Common Redpolls from Greenland are larger and darker than those breeding in Alaska and Canada.