Winter Bird Survival

Reader Contribution by Yardmap Network
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The dark days of winter are upon us in the Northern Hemisphere. By the time Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year, most birds have migrated to their winter locations, following their food sources. In northern latitudes, year-round residents continue to forage, even on the coldest winter days. Do you ever ask yourself, how do they survive?

Birds have evolved over thousands of years to survive seasonal changes. Keeping warm is a high priority. Access to quality, sheltered roosting sites, such as in large conifers, means birds have places to hunker down for long storms. In the winter, birds often roost early, before the sun sets, anticipating that temperatures will drop quickly. They frequently will puff out their plumage while roosting, creating heat pockets in their down-covered bodies. Titmice, chickadees, and bluebirds seek shelter in the holes of trees — sometimes old woodpecker nesting cavities. Goldfinches and redpolls grow extra feathers in the winter, increasing their insulation. And all birds who experience colder than normal temperatures can shiver. Black-capped Chickadees normally maintain a temperature of 107.6 degrees Fahrenheit, but if temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, they are adapted to shift their body temperature to around 86 degrees Fahrenheit and shiver through the night to survive. Many birds, including chickadees and hummingbirds, can enter a state of torpor in which their respiration and other body processes are slowed, conserving energy until they can forage for their next meal.

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