If you are like my wife Susie and I, we are still feeding the birds. Yes, those cute little critters that hang around through the four seasons of Michigan, and that means winter as well.

But, also, if you're like us, we ask ourselves do we need to keep feeding them? Don't they all go south? Nope! So many of the little ones stay around.

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Then, we worry what the little winged wonders do over the winter and all our sub zero temperatures. Is it dangerous for them?

Dark Eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) Backyard Bird of North America
Brian Woolman/Getty Images
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In researching this, Yahoo.com reported that most backyard birds, particularly the species who more frequently stick around through Michigan winters, are quite hardy and can make do in subzero temperatures — provided they have ample food to keep their energy up, a University of Michigan bird researcher said.

So, the answer is yes they will survive our harsh winters, and, yes, we need to keep feeding them to keep them alive.

Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash
Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash
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This is the first "real winter," so to speak, we have had in a few years as it has been so  mild. If we did get a true winter cold and snow, it didn't last long. However, it doesn't seem like that will happen this year.

WHICH ARE THE HARDIEST BIRDS TO SURVIVE?

Benjamin Winger, an associate professor who studies bird evolution and ecology at U-M says the northern Cardinal and even the American robin, Michigan's state bird, tend to survive extreme cold better. Though robins are known to migrate south to warmer temperatures when winter is coming, not all do. And the bird is distributed throughout North America, even into Alaska.

Carol Carpenter on Unsplash
Carol Carpenter on Unsplash
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HOW DO BIRDS DO THAT?

They move around to find fruit to build up fat that will sustain then. Also, they obviously have feathers and if they just fluff them up they get a real good insulation even if it's below 0.

So, as long as we are providing food for our fine feathered friends, they will survive our tough Michigan winters!

 

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