The snow is still swirling around outside, and no one seems too excited that the ground hog saw his shadow and predicted that winter will continue. Some days the weather has not seemed fit for man nor beast… nor bird. It begs the question as to why some birds choose to stay up here while others flee for warmer climates.
Bird migration is driven by several factors – but the availability of food sources is a primary motivator for birds to migrate. Think about the geese that surround Charles E. Sexton Memorial Park through the summer months. These geese tend to eat grasses and forage in the pond for aquatic vegetation. During the winter the grass is covered by snow and the aquatic vegetation is inaccessible, motivating the geese to make the long trip south.
Out on the trails, we have many birds that stay for the long winter: Cardinals, Robins, Blue Jays, Pileated Woodpeckers, Chickadees, and Nuthatches.
These birds tend to eat nuts and seeds that they can find in trees during the winter. Blue Jays, for instance, are partial to acorns so they gravitate to oak trees. Chickadees will use their beaks to dig behind tree bark to get at grubs and insects. Nuthatches prepare for winter by “caching” food under the loose bark of trees for later.
And, many birds have come to rely on backyard feeders during the winter for their food. It used to be rare to see Cardinals here during the colder months, but now Cardinals are a common site.
For more information about birds in our area check out Cornell’s “All About Birds” website. The website can help in identifying different birds, as well as providing information about each bird—there are even recordings of each bird’s distinct song.
Sources:
Why do birds return north after winter?
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