February 4,2014; 8:30AM,EST
Do you ever wonder how the tiny birds hopping around your backyard and neighborhood stay warm during the winter? Weighing in at 10-25 grams - the weight of a few nickels - birds hardly seem like they're fit for frigid temperatures. However, winter residents in chilly parts of the U.S. have some strategies for surviving the cold:
One
of the regulars that visit the bird feeder daily - mourning dove just
shakes his head and all the snow falls off. From AccuWeather fan bird11- Fill up on fat and calories. As far as a bird's concerned, calorie-rich and fatty foods like sunflower seeds, nuts and suet are the best for providing energy to stay warm.
- Find reliable water sources. Melting snow and ice for water uses up calories and body heat, so finding a reliable source of fresh, clean water is key. Heated birdbaths make life much easier during winter.
- Find shelter. Evergreen trees, brush piles, birdhouses and roost boxes provide a respite from wind and cold.
- Fluff those feathers. Feathers help trap heat close to a bird's body to maintain warmth.
Some birds can even enter "regulated hypothermia" to reduce calorie burn and conserve energy during cold weather. Black-capped chickadees - familiar winter feeder visitors - can drop their body temperature by as much as 14 degrees Fahrenheit at night! They also shiver to generate heat, which gets trapped in those fluffy feathers.
Give feathered friends a hand this winter by adding food and water sources to your yard, then sit back and enjoy some winter birdwatching. Providing a variety of feeders and foods will attract different species of birds - try suet, cracked corn, seeds and nuts. Once a few birds find your feast, others will likely follow. Providing a water source will also attract birds. Use a heated bird bath or place a bath in a sunny area where it's less likely to freeze over. Don't forget to clean feeders and baths regularly to prevent spreading disease, and remove old, wet seed that can breed bacteria.
Get more winter birding tips from National Wildlife Federation.
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- Tricia Smith Kenyon · Top Commenter · Head Slave at Atoka, OK at homeI have 2 feeders and lots of sparrows and doves that visit them daily. They go through lots of food but give me the joy of watching them. Have had cardinals and others join as well. They know even on the coldest, wettest days, there will be food for them here. Love Gods birds!! :-)
Cindy Gillim · Server at Farmhouse Cafe & Tea Roomawww poor little guys... :( throw ur old bread or food outside in the winter!
Deb DeVine4 feeders: suets and hulled sunflower, peanuts, millet, safflower and cracked corn. No waste, no mess. They LOVE it all! Also, we've had a heated birdbath for years. What a great invention for our backyard birds. We get so many different species, all enjoying a good meal!
Ron Roberge · Top Commenter · Kingswood Regional High SchoolTry to get the neighbors interested in maintaining bird feeders as well because once the hoard discovers your stash they will clean it out so fast that you will be out there every day to re fill it.
Claudine HaddadI have one bird feeder and I see like 8 robins each day
Carole Vail · Top Commenter · State College, PennsylvaniaBirds’ feathers provide remarkable insulation against the cold, and many bird species grow extra feathers as part of a late fall molt to give them thicker protection in the winter. The oil that coats birds’ feathers also provides insulation as well as waterproofing.
Birds’ legs and feet are covered with specialized scales that minimize heat loss. Birds can also control the temperature of their legs and feet separately from their bodies by constricting blood flow to their extremities, thereby reducing heat loss even further.
Fat Reserves: Even small birds can build up fat reserves to serve as insulation and extra energy for generating body heat. Many birds will gorge during the fall when food sources are abundant, giving them an extra fatty layer before winter arrives.
Marianne LaFera GrossoWe leave suet and seed on porch railing for easier feeding.all day long so when it gets dark they can be comfortable. We have fresh water every day also and some Holly trees and I make up a peanut butter and cereal mix on crackers.( my daughter-in-law's recipe).do they enjoy that!..I love watching these lovely birds.....Marianne
David Huffman · Lake Erie CollegeI understand this,but what about horses that may only have a run-in for shelter ???
Gayle Areheart · Follow · Top Commenter · United Horsemanship Mentor Hoof ProgramDepends on where you live and the winter coat you horse has and it's age-all factors. In the south I only blanketed mine when freezing rain or sleet came down. Of course, they were in a huge pasture so could move freely to warm up as needed. Since I moved to IN and my aged Arabian grew almost no winter coat I blanketed as the weather required. Beware of leaving a blanket on continuously because as the weather warms in the afternoon they can become overheated and sweat underneath. Labor intensive to put blankets on and off.
Mari Huscio · Top Commenter · Indiana Business CollegeI feed the birds--because it is entertainment for my inside cats and me too! I have tinted my windows so the birds cannot see the cats---I put a small table near the patio window--I put lots of bird food and pieces of bread and I put the food on a retaining wall also. During the drought I got to watch the grackles--carry pieces of bread to the bird bath--and wet it and fly off to give their babies water in the nest. I get all the species of the birds--I get flocks of 100-200 birds at a time--and their is a Hawk that comes to feed also--. I have a wild zoo in my backyard--I love it--but I don't think my neighbors enjoy it or the home association. LOL
Jane Jones · Works at Jefferson County Development AuthorityI read an article recently about store-bought suet going rancid and decided to research making homemade suet. Found this amazing recipe by Naturalist Julie Zickfoose. We've had bluebirds on our windowsill ever since! If you're interested, please read the whole article and mind the recommendations to stop feeding when the weather begins to warm!
http://juliezickefoose.blogspot.co m/2010/03/ zick-dough-improved.html
Nadine Froderman · Top Commenter · School of Hard Knocks, University of LifeI make suet cakes for my feathered friends. I have 2 suet feeders plus 4 black oil sunflower-filled feeders. water freezes too quickly here for me to put any out or I would. We have house sparrows, chickadees, a few nuthaches, a pr of Downy woodpeckers, blue jays, and junco's (ground feeders).
Ron MarsonI discovered we have a year-round Anna's hummingbird, so I've got a sugar-water feeder that he visits several times a day. Our seed and suet feeders are always active. We've even got juncos and Stellar jays that have learned to hang upside down to get suet. Fun to watch!- Marianne LaFera GrossoWe have many birds in our yard.so...we leave fresh water, duet, sunflower seeds and thistle....also my daughter -in -law gave me a recipe with Peanut butter base and cereal and nuts on crackers and the birds ate every last morsel!! They really need all the food one can give. Marianne
Tracy L RueWe get so much pleasure bird watching from our heated birdbath, right in the frontyard out our picture window. We keep it filled and clean for them. We feed all the creatures outside, they come to rely on it, and wouldn't have it any other way! Love them!
Merton Miller · Univ. of New OrleansI'd love to feed birds but don't have equipment. Give my 2 pet squirrels a hanful of pistachios in the crook of my oak tree. They go nuts! LOL! I'll figure out bird feeder. Maybe my 5 dogs won't mind the attention to the birds. HA!
Colleen McCarthy · Delaware Valley High SchoolHere in Northeast PA I saw 2 blue birds (not blue jays) last week and a robin yesterday. Now what is going on with that? It is only February and neither of those birds should be here till May. At least I have everything they need, water, seed, suet.\
- David Huffman · Lake Erie CollegeThanks Gayle... I've had horses in the past and I always wondered how they stay warm...They never seem like they are cold.We've used warm up covers on them also.Thanks for answering...
- Dan Faltesek · Follow · Works at USPS RetiredIt said nothing of how they keep but suggesting ways we can help....how about the birds in the wild!?....very uninformative piece!!
Albert Nett · Top Commenter · Chicago, Illinois
Michelle Waters Whitley · Western Piedmont Community CollegeI have 3 crows that call out every morning at 8:30
So i throw a piece of bread out and crow back, lol
Uncurly DIY Brazilian Keratin StraightenerHeated bird bath and suet over here. It's got to have been a tough winter for them.
Clark Magnuson · Top Commenter · Seattle, WashingtonI stopped eating bread too. I was getting too heavy to fly.
Kathy Mulligangood to know !!!!!!
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