Many of you probably live in a region where winters are cold. Sometimes bitterly cold. We don’t even like running out to the mailbox without bundling up in hats and scarves. As an animal and bird lover you may wonder, how do birds survive the winter?
If you enjoy feeding and watching birds like me, then you may have wondered about your feathered friends… do birds get cold? Yes! Birds are warm-blooded creatures like us, therefore they have to keep their body at a constant temperature (for birds around 105 Fahrenheit). So how do birds stay warm? How do birds survive in the winter? Let’s look at their winter coping strategies, and talk about ways you can help birds in the winter.
7 ways that birds survive the winter
Here are 7 ways that various species of birds are able to survive cold weather and make through until the spring each year. Be sure to read until the end where we give you some tips for how you can help birds in the winter.
1. Migration
A certain section of the bird population migrates to warmer climates. Sounds smart doesn’t it? Leave the frigid cold behind for a warm, tropical climate! So why don’t all birds migrate? Birds are very territorial when it comes to their nesting and feeding grounds. Birds that stick around in their territory all year round have a better chance of defending and keeping that territory than those who leave and try to return.
Also, migration can pose some serious hazards. It’s not easy to fly thousands of miles to warmer grounds! It takes a lot of energy and resources. It also exposes birds to threats such as storms and predators.
Each species has evolved over time to weigh their options carefully. Risk flying hundreds maybe thousands of miles to escape the cold, or hunker down in a safe spot that will take all your energy to stay warm enough to survive.
