Winter Travel

Happy holidays!

This happens to be one of my favorite times of the year. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I always find that I have so much to do! The second novel in the Birdwatching Journalist Cozy series was released in early November, and I’ve been taking a short writing break to recharge the mind.

Humans aren’t the only species that like to relax a bit around the holidays. It’s no secret that many bird species migrate during the colder months and take a break from the taxing demands of raising chicks. Some species, like the hummingbird, always come to mind when I think about the greatest migrators.

I’m familiar with seeing the birds frequently in the summers when I visit Ontario, but these little birds (who can be surprisingly aggressive if nectar is involved) zoom pretty far south during the winter. Let’s just say, cruise ships aren’t the only things stopping by the Caribbean and Mexico this time of year. I encourage you to study a migration map if you’re interested in seeing how far they travel from home.

One thing that confuses new birdwatchers in the winter is when they see a bird out in the snow. I’ve heard people ask before, “did that bird forget to migrate?” Bird migration seems to be one of the first lessons children are taught in school, how could some of these birds forget to fly south?

The answer is surprisingly simple. Birds only fly south if they have to fly south. Unlike us, who will be flocking the sandy beaches of Florida in the coming weeks for entertainment, birds fly south because they run out of food sources. Birds that rely heavily on food that prospers in warm weather would starve if they didn’t go south.

Going back to the hummingbird, one of their favorite treats is flower nectar. Flowers don’t bloom in harsh, snowy weather, so the birds move south where flowers are still in bloom. Insect hunters will also disappear. Many water birds migrate as well. While I don’t know the official reason for the departure of these webbed-footed birds, I wouldn’t be surprised if the difficulty of fishing on a frozen lake or pond is a factor.

So who does stick around in the cold? Birds that don’t need to migrate tend to feast on berries and seeds. The cardinal and blue jay always come to mind because of their bright colors. So, next time you have a snowstorm and notice a cardinal couple mingling in the snow, don’t be too surprised. They tend to stay close to home, even during the holidays.