Brrr…winter is for the birds!

January 21, 2015 · 0 Comments

Have you ever wondered how our feathered friends stay warm during the winter? They are quite remarkable little creatures. During the fall months you will notice that the birds can eat you out of house and home. But what they are really doing is building on an extra layer of fat to help them get through those cold winter months. Their feathers also act as an insulator with a downy layer next to the body. Legs have specialized scales that minimize heat loss and they can also control the temperature of their legs and feet by constricting blood flow. This reduces heat loss even further. On a sunny day birds big and small will sit with backs to the sun. Unlike us who sit facing the sun to get some healthy rays and vitamin D. They face back to it; this is the biggest part of their body, and by doing this, with feathers fluffed a little, and maybe even wings dropping a wee bit, they are allowing the sun’s heat to penetrate through to heat them more efficiently. By fluffing out their feathers they are also creating an air pocket helping to keep that heat in. Standing on one leg or beak tucked in! All signs of keeping warm. On very chilly days just like us, a bird will shiver to keep warm. This generates more body heat, just like for ourselves. How can we help?
Build brush piles in your backyard for shelter, plant evergreen shrubs and or trees, build a winter roosting box. Supply good foods such as peanuts, suet and bark butter for energy, and black oiled sunflower to name a few. Keep the feeders full and sit back and enjoy the beautiful birds. Also if you can supply them with fresh water, that would also benefit them. By purchasing a bird bath heater from a store like Wild Birds Unlimited for example, having fresh water would save them the energy they need to use to get their drinking water from snow. They need every bit of energy they have to survive the cold winter months. However, in spite of everything we can do to help, and they can do to survive. There are always going to be casualties. But in the wild, that life lost is a life gained for something else. It is Mother Nature’s way to keep that balance in the wild. Want some more backyard fun? February 13th through February 16th, join the Great Backyard Bird Count. “Join more than 100 other countries, tens of thousands of people young and old of all birding skill levels.” Count the birds in your backyard, parks, anywhere your heart desires. Do it by yourself, as a family, with your friends, or as a class, is great education to learn about and support bird conservation. Contact GBBC’s coordinator Kerrie Wilcox of Bird Studies Canada for more information at: gbbc@birdscanada.org
Go count those birds. Make a difference!

By Jennifer Howard