Snowbird (person)

This article is about migratory North American people called Snowbirds, for alternate meanings see snowbird.

The term snowbird is used to describe people from the U.S. Northeast, U.S. Midwest, or Canada who spend a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States, Mexico, and areas of the Caribbean. It is also used for people from eastern Canada or northern Canada who migrate to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, for the winter. Victoria is known for having very mild winters by Canadian standards, and has an annual "blossom count" in mid-February to prove its warm winter status.

Snowbirds are typically retirees, and business owners who have a second home in a warmer location or whose business can be easily moved from place to place, such as flea market and swap meet vendors. Some snowbirds carry their homes with them, as campers (mounted on bus or truck frames) or as boats following the east coast Intracoastal waterway. It used to be that snowbirds were the wealthy who maintained several seasonal residences and shifted residence with the seasons to avail themselves of the best time to be at each location.

Many of these "snowbirds" also use their vacation time to declare permanent residency in low, or no tax states (where the taxes are sustained by high tourism taxes), and claim lower non-resident income taxes in their home states. Canadian snowbirds usually make sure they retain residency in Canada in order to retain health benefits. The right to vote for local office is governed by local law, so it may be possible to vote for local offices in both places if the locality permits nonresident voting, but representation in the United States federal Congress is for residents as enumerated by the decennial census.

Origin of term

Use of "Snowbird" in this sense may originate with the lyrics of "Snowbird", a song made popular by Canadian Anne Murray:

"Spread your tiny wings and fly away

And take the snow back with you

Where it came from on that day

...

So, little Snowbird, take me with you when you go

To that land of gentle breezes where the peaceful waters flow..."

RVers

A significant portion of the Snowbird community is made up of recreational vehicle users (RVers). Many own a motorhome for the sole purpose of traveling south in the winter. Often they go to the same location every year and consider the other RVers that do the same a "second family". Many RV parks have deemed themselves "snowbird friendly" and get the majority of their income from the influx of RVing snowbirds. There are places like Quartzsite, Arizona, that have been labeled "white cities" because from a bird's eye view all the motorhomes cover the landscape in white and then in the summer are gone. While historically Florida has been the number one RV snowbird location, other southern U.S. states are experiencing a boom from snowbirds enjoying the southern climate "without the hurricane threat at a lower cost of living than." For example, the university town of Starkville, Mississippi has become a destination for thousands of out of town RVers coming to enjoy the mild winter climate and low cost of living.

See also

• Canadians of convenience
• Coachella Valley - major destination for snowbirds and part-time residents from Canada and the Pacific Northwest US.
• RV Lifestyle
• Seasonal human migration
• Tropical climate

External links

• Canadian Snowbirds Website
• Canadian Law Website