snowbirds

Snow birds are medium-sized sparrows with rounded head, short, stout bill and a fairly long, conspicuous tail. They are also dark-eyed, neat, and flashy little sparrows that flit about forest floors of the western mountains and Canada, then flood the rest of North America for winter. They are easy to recognize by their crisp (though extremely variable) markings and the bright white tail feathers they habitually flash in flight.