Have you ever wondered how birds can stay warm in the cold winter months? Common redpolls are a great example. These energetic foragers weigh less than 15 grams and can survive temperatures that plunge nearly 100 degrees below the freezing point! How do they do it? Birds of all shapes and sizes have special adaptations for living in cold climates. Here are just a few examples of tough birds and their tips for staying warm.

Shivering

Just like people, birds shiver to stay warm. Birds have much higher metabolic rates and burn more energy to stay warm than we do. Black-capped chickadees weigh less than half an ounce and can maintain a body temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit – even when the air is 0 degrees! They do this by having great insulation, being very active and remembering where they store their food. A steady supply of food is essential, because chickadees eat more than 35 percent of their weight every day! Compared to many other birds, chickadees have a large hippocampus – the part of the brain that’s responsible for spatial memory. In the fall, this part of their brain gets even bigger!

Fluffing feathers

Whether fat, fur or feathers, insulation matters for most cold-weather animals. All cold climate birds pack on body weight in the late summer and fall in anticipation of the long, cold winter, but feathers also play an important role. All birds stay warm by trapping pockets of air around their bodies. The secret to maintaining these layers of air lies in having clean, dry and flexible feathers. The cleaning process, generally known as preening, depends on the species of bird. While all birds produce a special oil from a gland near the base of their tails, some cold-tolerant birds use this oil to weatherproof their feathers. Other birds like egrets, herons and mourning doves grow special feathers that disintegrate into a powder that they use to waterproof their feathers. Regardless of what weatherproofing method they use, preening helps birds keep a water resistant top layer and a toasty warm inner layer.

Roosting and cuddling

Similar to people who may cuddle for warmth, small birds like tree swallows crowd together in shrubs, vines and evergreen trees to share body heat. They can also slow down their metabolic rate to conserve energy. Cavity nesters like nuthatches, titmice and downy woodpeckers use tree cavities and nest boxes to stay warm. Cavities and boxes provide protection from the weather and help birds hide from predators. Larger birds like American crows and ring-billed gulls are also known to flock together for warmth.
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Translocation to boost, add genetic diversity to southern Arizona populations

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. — The fastest land animal in North America can make it seem so effortless, reaching a top speed of 55 mph, then being able to coast at 30 mph for miles. When they get their wheels rolling, there isn’t a predator that can keep up with them, let alone catch them.

There is one thing, however, that an estimated 100 pronghorn that have roamed the Glassford Hill area near Prescott Valley cannot outrun — development.

On Jan. 24, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), in partnership with the Arizona Antelope Foundation (AAF) and local private landowners, reduced the size of the iconic herd by capturing 45 of the fleet-footed animals and transporting them to various release sites in southeast Arizona.
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Chronic wasting disease, whether you’re talking about confirmed cases or just the threat of finding a CWD-positive deer, is a reality across much of the state’s hunting landscape. Now that CWD – a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose – is confirmed in nine Michigan counties, the DNR is working to build awareness among non-hunters, too.
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PHOENIX — Following a rollercoaster start, the next generation of bald eagles on Lake Pleasant could very well be on the way after a second egg was firmly laid in the nest.

The egg, which was laid around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, came one day after a first egg was eaten by a pair of opportunistic ravens that swooped into the nest while the unassuming bald eagle parents were away. Each event was watched in real-time by thousands streaming video of the nest on the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s bald eagle nest camera.

“While this scenario occurs daily in nature, the department’s live-streaming camera allows us to bring this unfiltered nesting process to everyone with an internet connection,” said Jeff Meyers, AZGFD watchable wildlife program coordinator. “Viewers are repeatedly drawn into the daily drama of survival, tuning in to watch the eagles eat, fend off intruders — such as egg-eating ravens and a rival bald eagle — and finding time to take turns incubating the egg. All the while, viewers are learning about Arizona’s bald eagles and other native wildlife.”

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If you’ve got cabin fever, MI Birds partners across Michigan are hosting some cool community science opportunities that may help you embrace the cold:

The Great Backyard Bird Count (Feb. 15-18), coordinated by Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, invites people all over the world to record their bird observations for at least 15 minutes, in their own backyards.

• All ages and birding skills welcome.
• Join in any or all days.
• Last year, over 190,000 people participated in this global bird count, and Michigan – with nearly 4,000 checklists submitted – was among the top 10 participating states.Project FeederWatch (various dates, November through April), organized by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada, is a winterlong survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature centers, community areas and other locales in North America.
  • All ages and birding skills welcome.
  • Monitor your bird feeder as much or as little as you’d like; create your own schedule.
  • You’ll need a bird feeder, bird bath or bird-enticing plants.
  • Get details on participation and what’s included in your research kit at the Project FeederWatch website.

  Erin Rowan, MI Birds program associate for Audubon Great Lakes and the DNR, suggests using tube, hopper or suet bird feeders, rather than putting seed directly on the ground or using platform feeders – these methods tend to attract deer and other unintended guests.

  “After Jan. 31, deer and elk feeding are not allowed in the Lower Peninsula,” Rowan said. “It’s part of an effort to prevent deer gathering around food sources, because that activity increases the potential spread of chronic wasting disease.” Rowan said, too, that people can get mess-free bird seed options (to keep the ground clean) at many stores and can surround feeders with fencing to limit deer access.

  MI Birds is a public outreach and education program created by Audubon Great Lakes and the DNR. Birders and hunters share similar conservation values, but rarely cross paths. MI Birds aims to deepen all Michiganders’ engagement in the understanding, care and stewardship of the public lands that are important for birds and local communities.

  For more on the regulations going into effect Jan. 31, contact your local DNR Customer Service Center. Questions about the bird count events? Contact Erin Rowan, 313-820-0809.

MISSOULA, Mont.—The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation provided nearly $114,000 in grant funding to improve elk habitat and scientific research in South Dakota as well as a wide range of hunting heritage and other outdoor-related activities.

“Water is at a premium across the lower portion of South Dakota. This funding is helping to establish a wide-ranging pipeline project to improve more than 15,400 acres of habitat,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “It also goes toward a multi-year research effort monitoring cow elk survival plus it assists various other projects designed to enhance habitat for elk and other wildlife.”

The 2018 grants helped pay for 25 projects across Aurora, Beadle, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Custer, Fall River, Jerauld, Lake, Lawrence, Meade, Pennington, Sanborn, Tripp and Yankton Counties.

South Dakota is home to more than 4,200 RMEF members and 18 chapters. Read more

Good food, roaring fires, nights under the stars, and entertaining classes about the state’s natural history – all of this and more are part of Wildlife Weekend, Feb. 1-3, in Michigan’s north woods. The DNR and the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education have teamed up to create this fun learning experience at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center on scenic Higgins Lake in Roscommon County.

DNR education manager Kevin Frailey is excited about this development.

“We offer many professional development opportunities at the RAM Center for educators who want to find new ways to bring the outdoors into their classrooms, but Wildlife Weekend is open to anyone 18 or older who’s simply interested in learning more about nature in a relaxing retreat setting,” Frailey said. “Many of the topics we cover are things you’ll hear or read about in the news from week to week.”