How Do Birds Survive a Saskatchewan Winter?

This article is part of our "Ask Myrna" Backyard Bird Feeding Series.

How do overwintering birds survive our tough prairie winters?

Finding sufficient food is the most important task of all overwintering birds; species that aren’t able to survive on a sparse winter menu of frozen berries and insects, seeds, live prey and carrion must migrate south to warmer climes.

In addition to finding food, overwintering birds must also adjust their bodies and their behaviour to withstand months of cold and harsh conditions.

Physical Adaptations:

Feathers – During periods of extreme cold, birds fluff up their feathers to trap a layer of warm and insulative air between the erect feathers.

Body Fat – Some bird species accumulate extra body fat in the winter to serve as an energy reserve.

Feet –-Birds’ feet, composed of dry scales devoid of sweat glands, are cooler than the body core. They are kept from freezing by an intricate and complex network of interwoven veins and arteries.

Physiological Adaptations:

Shivering – Birds generate heat through shivering, predominantly utilizing the pectoralis muscle.

Regulated Hypothermia – Some birds enter nightly hypothermia by lowering their body temperature. Notably, chickadees may do this during daytime as well to conserve energy while remaining active.

Behavioural Adaptations:

Food Caching – Nuthatches, crows, jays and chickadees will store food during the fall and early winter. Cached locations may not always be remembered, but the stored morsels will be eventually found by some other bird.

Feeding - Birds feed more intensively during cold weather, especially in the morning to restore depleted energy reserves and again in the late afternoon to fill up for the coming night.

Huddling – Individual birds will huddle together during cold weather to decrease the amount of surface area exposed to the cold.

Shelter – Birds will seek sheltered areas to feed during cold windy weather and to roost in at night. Coniferous trees and dense shrubbery provide effective protection against bitter winds.

Posture – during extreme conditions, when moving uses up more energy than can be gained from eating, birds will sit motionless with their feathers fluffed out and their feet covered.

Shelter – Seeking protected locations for feeding and roosting, especially during inclement weather, is common. Coniferous trees and dense shrubs offer effective protection against wind.

During periods of extremely cold weather, make sure your bird feeders are well stocked with good quality seeds and suet. If possible, place a few feeders out of the wind and try to offer other nearby shelter (e.g., spruce trees, thick brush piles, and/or a snag). While bird feeding stations won’t save entire bird populations, a steady supply of nutritious offerings will make life much easier for your backyard avian neighbours.