![]() This is equivalent to 10% of their body weight being shed and replaced every day as they consume, store and utilize their body fat. Songbirds may use up 75-80% of their fat reserves in one winter night. Depending on its location, a small songbird must sustain itself though 13- 15 hours of darkness by utilizing only its own fat reserves for fuel. The most often overlooked winter survival challenge for birds is having to endure the long period of darkness during a winter night. Wind, storms and wet weather can also rob birds of their ability to stay warm, even at moderate temperatures. One study in Wisconsin showed that when the temperature drops below 10º F, chickadees without access to feeders had twice the mortality rate than their feeder-using counterparts.įreezing temperatures are only one factor that birds must overcome in order to survive winter. However, the story changes dramatically during periods of cold temperatures. Normally, birds that come to feeders obtain only about 20% of their daily calories from our feeders, with the rest being obtained naturally. In contrast, during periods of cold and severe winter weather, your birds may switch to utilizing them as the critical source of food that enables them to survive from day to day. Typically, your feeders serve as a supplemental source of food for birds in your yard. ![]()
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