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Naturalist NotesBirds in Winterby Amy FuryWolf Ridge Naturalist |
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It all starts in late Summer and early Fall. Some birds feel the need to leave their summer home in order to find a place with warmer temperatures. Other birds find ways in which they can adapt to the changing weather. Those birds that do head to another spot for winter are called migrants. | |
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Birds MIGRATE for multiple reasons; mainly it is to find a more stable food source that will not freeze. Most birds fly south from their breeding area to a place where temperatures are warmer and food is abundant. Some birds fly short distances and others fly very long distances sometimes reaching hundreds or thousands of miles.
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| Birds whose winter range is primarily north of Mexico are considered CONTINENTAIL MIGRANTS. Birds whose winter range is almost entirely south of the Mexican border are called NEOTROPICAL MIGRANTS. There are over 650 species of birds that live in North America. Of these birds, 75% participate in some form of migratory behavior. |  |
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| Migration takes a lot of energy. During Fall, birds begin to store fat under their skin and around internal organs to help with warmth as well as with weight distribution. Migrating birds aren’t the only birds to store fat. Those birds that plan to stay in the same location for the entire year plump up too! | ||
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Birds do lots of things in winter, but their main focus is finding food and staying warm. Birds have physical and behavioral ADAPTATIONS that help them survive freezing temperatures of the winter months. PHYSICAL adaptations are things an animal HAS to help them survive, and BEHAVIORAL adaptations are things that an animal DOES in order to survive. | |
| Some birds that live in Canada and further north migrate only as far south as Northern Minnesota. Some species that can be seen in Northern Minnesota in the winter are the: Dark-Eyed Junco, Black Capped Chickadee, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pine Grosbeak, American Goldfinch and also many birds of prey such as the Snowy Owl and Great Horned Owl. |  |
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Northern Minnesota birds struggle to maintain an adequate body temperature in the winter. In order to maintain body temperature at a level that will keep the bird warm all night, a bird must be sure to eat plenty of food during the day. The kind of food makes a difference. Birds must eat food higher in fat to boost metabolism. Higher metabolism requires that birds eat more food. So basically, our birds spend most of their time searching for food in order to keep warm and stay alive!
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Birds can save some energy and time searching for food by storing food prior to winter. Some birds store food in hiding places so they can go back to them when food sources are limited. This is called CACHING. Some birds cache food in the crevices of tree bark. Others store food in utility poles, in the cracks of dead trees, on fence posts, or hanging from tree branches. A major point consider when caching food, is that other animals may find the cache and eat it.
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| Some birds add additional feathers to their body to stay warm. Another way to stay warm is to “fluff” feathers for better insulation. This creates air pockets between the feathers and the skin that help retain heat. Birds can also stay warm by shivering. Humans do this too, but for birds shivering helps maintain a temperature of about 106-109 degrees. (fluffy bird) |
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| Those that can survive the coldest nights of winter have a special behavioral adaptation called TORPOR. During torpor metabolism slows down, body temperature lowers, and heart rate reduces to conserve energy. | ||
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Birds need a cozy warm place to stay overnight, just like humans who sleep in cozy houses and warm beds. Shelters such as bird boxes or hollowed out trees make great roosts | |
| Finally, birds snuggle up with other birds. This is a great way to keep warm! Wouldn’t you agree? |
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| Winter is a great time for nature watchers to catch a glimpse of some birds that are not here year-round. With the leaves off of the trees, birds are sometimes easier to view. So head out to your backyard, look out the window, or venture as far as the forest down the road and check out the birds! WHAT ARE THEY DOING??? Now you know | ||