Winter
has definitively settled itself upon much of the Northern hemisphere. It’s
pretty hard to deny that, unless you happen to be living in the Southern
hemisphere.
Most
places in the Northern world are buried under heaping mounds of the white
fluffy stuff, and there you stand in the middle of it all, wrapped in your
two-inch thick winter coat, toque and scarf. Your mitten-clad hands are stuffed
deep in your pockets and your feet have vanished under layers of woollen socks
and heavy, clunky boots with layers of insulation and gripped bottoms so you
don’t slip on the ice.
Yet,
for all that, you’re still cold and shivering. Your nose is red and runny and
your toes hurt. You shift from foot to foot to keep the blood circulating, and
your complaints are endless.
Then
you hear it. High, clear, and pure.
“Chick-a-dee-dee-deeeeeeee!!”
It’s
coming from behind and above you.
“Chick-a-dee-dee-deeeeeeee!!”
You
turn around for a look, and it takes you only a minute to find him. There he
is, just feet away on a high tree branch bobbing slightly in the winter wind.
He’s a chickadee, that tiny little black, white and grey ball of fluff small
enough to fit in the palm of your hand with room to spare. It’s the middle of
winter, yet there he sits, up there on the branch, not a thread of winter
clothing in sight, in his bare feet no less, seemingly not the least bit fazed
or even uncomfortable in this cold, cold climate.
Why?
Why is
this wee little guy so much better prepared for winter than much bigger, strong
and mighty (by comparison anyway) you? How does he survive the sometimes long,
long winter months?
It
turns out he’s got a few tricks up his - - er - - wing.
Winter Wear: First of all, there may be
no winter clothing in sight, but there is winter clothing there, alright. Like
a lot of wintering birds, chickadees grow a layer of “thermal underwear”. That
is, they develop an extra layer of insulating feathery down that acts like a
very effective winter wear. This actually shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Remember, a lot of those winter coats we wrap ourselves up in are packed full
of bird down. Technically, it’s usually goose down, not chickadee, but the fact
remains that we turn to the bird kingdom for advice and resources for staying
warm in winter.
Eating Habits: Chickadees have a
tremendous metabolism, losing amazing amounts of weight overnight and packing
it on during the day. This is because chickadees eat only during the day, and,
of course, the nights can get awfully long in the winter. This is a great
energy-conserving technique, but these little critters don’t have a lot of body
fat to spare in the first place! So, in the winter, their eating habits must
change. Besides seeds found in bird feeders, they go after seeds frozen in
trees, frozen insects, and even fat scavenged off of carcasses taken by larger
animals like coyotes. Scientists have also observed that chickadees are very
clever and methodical about creating a network of winter caches for the bits
and pieces they collect. So when you see them hanging around your birdfeeder in
autumn, that’s probably what they’re doing. They’re not feasting right then.
They’re building a pantry somewhere nearby for the winter.
Deep Sleep: And I mean really
deeeeeeep!! Chickadees have the amazing ability to place themselves into a
state of near frozen hypothermia. Their heartbeats drop dramatically, and their
body temperatures sink. It’s a state that would put a human being’s life into
dire danger, but for a chickadee, it’s a life-saver. When the night falls and
the outdoor temperatures lower to an intolerable state, the chickadee finds its
hidey-hole and goes into its near-frozen state. It’s perfectly safe, but now it’s
also prepared to make it through the cold night without a problem. Then, when
the sun rises many hours later, they warm up again and get on with the day.
Pretty amazing!
So, the
next time you’re outside pulling your down coat more tightly around you and
grumbling about the cold, cold winter, and you see a little fluffy chickadee
sitting on a branch chirping down at you, don’t turn away and ignore him.
Instead pause and take a closer look.
After
all, this wee bird is another one of Mother Nature’s miracles.
Photo by: Ltshears - Trisha M Shears
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