Winter survival is for the birds

By Bruce Auchly

FWP Region 4 Information Officer

It’s winter.

Nights are long, often cold. Days are short, sometimes with a sun that acts like it doesn’t want to come out and play.

Depending on our disposition and age, we might smile or growl about the cold and snow. But if we go outside for any length of time we dress for the weather.

Birds that stay here, that do not migrate, have evolved some ingenious ways to dress for the weather, to stay alive.

Of all the creatures on this planet, only birds have feathers. They can range from about 1,000 feathers for a hummingbird to more tha...