Last week was about deer eating shoreline cedar trees in the winter. How animals survive winter in the Northwoods is not hard to explain, but there is a lot I could write so I will give the short version. When the days get shorter, nights colder and those beautiful leaves are off the trees, animals know winter is coming soon and three things will happen, Migration, Hibernation and Adaptation. This week is about migration. Some studies have shown the birds that migrate use the earth magnetic field, sun, moon and stars to find their way. Other studies say there are four primary corridors (flyways) birds use to migrate. I don’t know which one or if both are true, but I do know there are birds that will stay in the Northwoods.

Wisconsin wintering birds will fluff out their feathers to add air pockets for insulation, need water and must eat constantly to keep their metabolism up. Some people have heated bird baths and will put seed in their yards to help these birds survive winter. Then depending on open water (rivers/flowages) some birds like Geese, Pheasant and Turkeys can stay north while others will just head to southern Wisconsin.

While some Eagles fly south and winter along the Mississippi river, I have seen adult Eagles stay here in the Northwoods all winter but do change their eating habits. If there is open water Eagles will still feed on fish or fish left on frozen lakes by ice fishermen. Eagles will also feed on carcasses of roadkill. I know this didn’t cover everything on wintering birds, but like is said, because there is so much that can be written I would give you the short version. Next week ill will cover adaptation and hibernation that will be more in-depth.