ThinkingAfield.org

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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