Chickadees

I just got home from the most interesting science lecture! A scientist from Fairbanks came down to the Campbell Creek Science Center and gave a talk on the winter survival techniques of the Chickadee.

Think about it: just how does that tiny little bird survive 18 hours of 30 below weather? It's barely 12 ounces in size (that's smaller than the little bag of peanuts you get when you fly the airlines nowadays)yet it's been spotted as far north as Anaktuvak Pass.

Just a brief summary here (I am not a scientist, so I'm only repeating what I heard): the bird utilized 3 basic physiological strategies and 3 basic behavioral strategies.

Physiological Strategies:

1. it has more feathers per square inch than it's southern cousins.
2. the feathers are structured differently to maximize heat retention.
3. it has the ability to put on fat very quickly

That last one is the most amazing one: that little bird can put on an additional 10% of its body weight in fat in just 6 hours! That's the equivalent of a 150 pound person putting on 15 pounds.

Behavioral Strategies:

1. it stores caches of food all over the place for lean times
2. it roosts in small spaces to minimize heat loss
3. it's an early riser to maximize daylight hours for optimal food gathering

All of these behaviors together allow a bird that, if you took off all its feathers - is no bigger than your thumb to keep an inner core temperature of 104 degrees.

Truly an amazing bird!