When bad weather approaches, birds, just like we humans, instinctively seek shelter from cold and storms.
Birds that nest in cavities in trees can hide out in their tree holes. Small birds can find protection in thick hedges or the downwind side of a tree. They tend to find places closest to the ground where temperatures are warmer.
Some birds will even fly a few miles to find suitable shelter and a food source. Evergreen trees are a natural choice since their dense coverings provide better protection than deciduous trees, especially in cold weather.
Birds can survive really cold temperatures better if they carry some extra weight. Providing bird feeders in your year or outside a window will help put on the pounds needed.
Birds are built to withstand cold weather. They have cold blood in their feet so that when standing on the cold ground, little body heat is lost. A bird’s feathers provide insulation, trapping air and holding in warmth so that the cold doesn’t reach the skin. Birds that live in cold climates also have thicker plummage in winter which they molt in spring and fall.
With a little help from us (providing some food), most birds are equipped to survive even severe winter weather.
