This is the time of year when I typically write my Thanksgiving column on wild turkeys. This year, however, instead of sharing facts about wild turkeys, I’m going to do something a little different.

I got to thinking about what other birds are associated with Thanksgiving. I couldn’t think of any off the top of my head because the turkey completely dominates the modern Thanksgiving holiday. Instead of giving up, I turned to the internet, and, as usual, it didn’t disappoint.

There are certain birds I have unusually good luck finding, and there are those that I have unusually bad luck finding.

Waterfowl, especially hooded and common mergansers, seem to show up everywhere I go from late fall through early spring. Baltimore orioles may as well be my spirit bird for as often as I see them in the spring and summer. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers are supposed to be “uncommon” where I live in New England, but that doesn’t stop me from finding them frequently.

Owls, on the other hand, have proven to be exceedingly elusive over the years. Sure, owls aren’t an everyday occurrence, but for the amount of time I spend outdoors, you’d think I would stumble upon one more often than I do, which is almost never.