Cold Weather Survival For Birds

Question: How do birds survive in cold weather?

Answer From George Harrison at Birds and Blooms:

Birds that reside in the North in winter are well equipped to survive the cold. Their winter plumages contain twice the number of feathers as their summer garbs. Plus, they can fluff up their feathers to further insulate their bodies and then shiver.

At night, birds conserve energy and heat by putting themselves into a state of hypothermia, which slows down their breathing, heartbeat and metabolism. Get more answers here.

Frozen Squirrels Survive

Researchers have discovered a species of mammal that can actually survive being frozen for several weeks.

Scientists were amazed to find that the little Arctic ground squirrel can allow its body to drop to 27 degrees F - that’s five degrees below the freezing point of water - for up to two weeks at a time during its unusual eight-to ten-month hibernation period.

After the two weeks at this very low temperature, the squirrel rouses itself, returns to normal body temperature, takes care of a few bathroom duties, and then returns to a state of nearly frozen hibernation for another two weeks.

The squirrel usually comes out of hibernation for its short summer in June. It has only two or three months before the ground freezes again and it returns to hibernation, so the squirrel is very busy eating and mating for two short months. You could say that the Arctic ground squirrel sleeps most of its life away.

Scientists say that the Arctic ground squirrel is the only mammal that is able to allow its body temperature to fall below freezing.

Source: Creation Moments.

Keeping Squirrels Out Of Birdfeeders

The best thing to do to prevent squirrels from eating out of your bird feeders is to keep them away from the beginning - once they become accustomed to food, they will be persistent at getting to it! There are a number of specialized feeders and baffles available that are considered "squirrel-proof."

I've never seen a feeder that works for us yet, but baffles have totally solved our problem. One effective squirrel baffle is shaped like a stovepipe and is placed on the pole portion of the bird feeder. This allows the squirrel to climb up the pole and into the closed pipe, but he can go no further.

The other type we use is similar to those collars that they put on dogs when they don't want them chewing at something that is healing. It's a cone-shape and it "clasps" together to be held on there.

There are some distance rules when placing your feeders and baffles or the squirrels will simply use their jumping and skydiving skills from the ground and air to get to the feeders.

The pipe must be at least 15 inches long to prevent the squirrel from climbing over it, and set at least 4 feet off the ground (to the bottom part of the baffle) to prevent the squirrel from jumping over it. The feeder itself must be placed far enough away (8-10 feet is recommended) from nearby trees, wires, buildings or any other objects a squirrel could use to jump on top of the feeder.

You could also stock your feeders with seeds that are undesirable to squirrels, such as safflower seeds that attract cardnals and grosbeaks, or niger thistle that attracts goldfinches and other songbirds. The only problem with that is that it limits the diversity of birds attracted and increases the cost of seed. Black-oil sunflower seeds will attract the most species and they are not an expensive seed.

Most wildlife organizations discourage the use of any capsaicin-based “hot pepper” powder mix which, although advertised as a “humane” repellent when mixed with bird seed, reportedly can make squirrels sick and may be irritating to the humans that handle it, not to mention who might come into contact with it on the ground.

Stop Junk Mail - Save Our Birds

There's not enough time in a day (or trees in the Boreal Forest) to put up with junk mail.

North America’s Boreal Forest supports some of the largest populations of wildlife such as grizzly bears, Woodland Caribou and wolves, and provides vital breeding grounds for up to 1/3 of North America’s land birds and 40% of its waterfowl.

The majority of the wood cut in the boreal forest is used to make paper, including catalogs. Each year, catalog retailers mail out about 17 billion catalogs (59 for every man, woman, and child in the US). This means that every year almost eight million tons of trees go straight into catalogs that are often unread and discarded.

We decided 10 years ago that we didn't want to waste the time or trees for 80% of what came into our mailbox. It worked! Many people I mention this to think it doesn't make a difference. Ask anybody who's done it. It certainly does!

Although we get personal and business mail, we get very little. When we do get a catalog or advertisement, I quickly call the toll-free number and ask to be removed from their mailing list.

Catalogs are a temptation for those with credit card debt, so it's a great technique to eliminate adding to it. After all, you can find anything you want online when you really have a need ... and not just a want created by a pretty picture.

Take this tutorial to stop junk mail.

Read more about the Boreal Forest and wildlife.

Help For Injured Wildlife

If you live in the woods or a natural area you may find yourself in a situation with injured wildlife. Until you find a rehabilitation center or certified local person, you may want to provide some emergency food.

Here's a site that will give you the required wild foods for a number of wildlife species. Food Substitutes for Rehab Wildlife Feeding

The following website offers information on what to do with injured wildlife and who to contact. There's a directory to Find a Wildlife Rehabilitator in your area.

Get information provided for the public and for the professional wildlife rehabilitator at this website.