How Do Birds Stay Warm In The Winter?

"How do birds stay warm in the winter?" One of our patrons stocks several birdfeeders year-round. With the cold weather we've been having lately, she was worried about how her birds were keeping warm. Putting "how do birds stay warm" into an online search engine showed that this is a popular concern.

Some birds will fly south for the winter, especially the species that eat insects rather than seeds. However, the ones that stick around in snowy climes have their own ways to stay cozy. Birds' natural oils help waterproof their feathers, and some birds will grow extra feathers for the winter. Like people, they can shiver to stay warm, and they're also known to sit in the sun when they can, sometimes spreading their wings to get as much sun as possible. When sunshine isn't an option, they fluff up their feathers to trap pockets of air, which then serve as excellent insulation. On especially cold nights, some will enter a torpor, dramatically lowering their body temperature and heartbeat so as to conserve warmth. They may also huddle together and share heat that way.

To keep their legs warm, birds can either stand on one leg, tucking the other up under their feathers, or hunker down to keep both legs cozy. According to an article at birding.about.com, the special scales on birds' legs also can help retain heat.

Bird lovers have several ways to help their feathered friends make it through the winter. Providing good winter food such as suet and black oil sunflower seeds will give birds the calories they need to stay warm. Keeping a heated birdbath will give them a reliable source of drinking water. Finally, having a clean birdhouse, roost box, or just a yard full of evergreen trees and shrubs can give birds a snug place to roost. Sally Roth's "Attracting Birds to Your Backyard" suggests putting your old Christmas tree outside where it can serve as a shelter.

For information on building birdhouses and birdfeeders, patrons can check out some of the books we have here at the library, including Paul Meisel's "Bird-Friendly Nest Boxes & Feeders" and Don McNeil's "The Birdhouse Book." For information on attracting and feeding birds, we have "North American Birdfeeder Guide" by Robert Burton and Stephen W. Kress, and "Attracting Birds to Your Backyard" by Sally Roth.

Which Direction Does a Wren House Face?

“I was given a new wren house. I know that it has to face in a certain direction; what is it?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff enjoys these interesting questions about birds. Many of us didn’t realize that birdhouses had to hang facing in certain directions.

The Birder’s Miscellany: a fascinating collection of facts, figures, and folklore from the world of birds by Scott Weidensaul states that the overall dimensions of the nest box of a house wren should be 8”H X 5.5”W X 4”D with an entrance hole of 1.25”. It should be placed head-high in the yard or garden [p. 125]. Edward A. Baldwin’s Birdfeeders, Shelters & Baths has some very creative bird houses and feeders including ones which would be excellent projects to make with children. He also has ideas for keeping predators at bay.

The Audubon North American Birdfeeder Guide by Robert Burton and Stephen W. Kress has a chapter on nest boxes: selecting ones to attract certain birds, box design, positioning, cleaning, maintenance, building, and garden threats. Burton and Kress state that house wrens are hole-nesters who like enclosed boxes attached to garden fence posts or in or near shrubbery or the edge of a forest, rather than open nesters like robins. They also have good suggestions for making your garden bird friendly, including protecting them from threats. For bluebirds and tree swallows they suggest that box entrances face east in order to be warmed by the morning sun, but say nothing about the placement of house wren boxes. The Audubon North American Birdfeeder Guide has an excellent chapter on house wrens. This bird with the cheerful song is friendly to gardeners, eating many insects including grasshoppers, gypsy moths, cabbage butterflies, ticks and flies. The wren usually bears two clutches of eggs each year, so it is still not too late to get a house up in time for the laying of the second clutch.

While we’ve learned a lot about wrens, the patron’s question still has not been answered. It is time to search the Internet. The website, ChestOfBooks.com has books which can be read online for free. Carpentry and Mechanics For Boys by A. Neely Hall has a chapter on Wren Houses [http://chestofbooks.com/home-improvement/woodworking/Carpentry-and-Mechanics-For-Boys/Chapter-XXXVI-Wren-Houses.html]. This has very detailed information about wrens and their choice of house. It also states that they prefer that the opening of the house to face east. The patron had the information she needed and was heading outside to put up her new house.