[TN-Bird] Re: Birds thirstier in Cold weather?
- From: John Devereux Joslin <jdjoslin@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2003 16:53:35 -0500
Your question: Is it my imagination, or has anyone else ever noticed that
birds seem to get thirstier in cold weather?
Having just watch a small flock of goldfinches in my bushes that were just
sitting there eating snow, made me think about their water sources during
periods
such as now.
Well, it would make some sense for them to be thirstier, it seems. For one
colder weather almost always means lower humidity (absolute humidity, not
necessarily relative humidity) leading to more evaporation. They also have to
burn more calories to stay warm, a process that requires the intake of water.
The third factor in your observation, may be the simple scarity of unfrozen
water
pools, so if you have an available water supply, they are more likely to be
using
it. Fourth, a lot of birds normally get much of their water from the bodies of
insects and fresh fruits that they eat. If they are mainly eating dried seeds
and fruits and suet, they aren't getting this source of water.
Any other thoughts on this issue?
Dev Joslin
Oak Ridge
Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx wrote:
> Putting out food and thawing water in the bird bath kept me busy today with
> seven inches of snow on my deck. All six mockingbirds, who have been in the
> midst of territorial battles for the last two weeks, ate peanut butter,
> apple, jelly and orange peaceably side by side today. Over a hundred
> starlings, 40 rock doves, 14 cardinals, 7 chickadees, 6 titmice, 2 Carolina
> wrens, 32 mourning doves, 7 juncos, 1 white-crowned sparrow, 8 house
> sparrows, 24 house finches rounded out the tribe for the day. The most
> unusual "feeder bird" today was in the form of 6 crows which swooped down to
> the deck to eat some left over crackers I had thrown out last night after a
> meeting in my home. There was also a yb sapsucker on my maple tree which was
> joined for a few minutes by a flicker that was "clee-ering" his head off
> seemingly in search of a "friend." The counts are determined by the largest
> number of any species that I saw at one time.
>
> Is it my imagination, or has anyone else ever noticed that birds seem to get
> thirstier in cold weather?
>
> Dee Thompson
> Nashville, TN
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
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TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958
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