Ontario – Part 3: Eating Snow
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Feb 17, 2009 | by Adrian Binns
If you look carefully at the picture above of a female White-winged Crossbill you will notice that her bill is in the snow. She is busy picking up snow to eat. In the harsh winters of the northern hemisphere, most easily accessible water sources are frozen. Birds rely upon water to not only keep their feathers in pristine condition but also to keep them hydrated. This weekend we got to watch several species eating snow, including Black-capped Chickadees and Gray Jay (below).
Eating snow requires far more energy to warm and melt than sipping water. This means that in order to get as much water as it needs it has to eat far more snow! It is a vicious circle forcing the birds to find extra food to have the energy to convert snow to water – nature’s way of making sure that only the strongest survive.
all photos © adrian binns