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Gretchen Steele: Birds deal with politics, too – the feeder pecking order

Steele noted one of her highlights this winter has been watching a leucistic white-crowned sparrow outside her house. It’s a small bird “with the attitude of a street fighter” when it comes to the bird feeder crowd. (Photo by Gretchen Steele)

If you want to understand politics, family dynamics, or the delicate art of running a rural committee meeting, I strongly recommend spending a February afternoon watching a backyard bird feeder in Southern Illinois.
The recent winter storms have given me plenty of opportunities to be endlessly entertained by the feeder drama outside my window. Late winter is prime time.

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