Birds can give away spring (W2)

I don’t think I am making a controversial statement by saying this winter has been brutal. The relentless piles of snow that morphed into treacherous ice mounds from the multiple days of subzero weather has not made anyone like winter much at all. However this long lasting, snow blasting winter has to be coming to an end soon. How do I know this? I know this because I have been seeing more and more cardinal’s everyday flying around and tweeting out their territorial tweets. Even though their chance of finding a mate at this time of the year is not good they are still ready for spring. Yes they don’t know when winter will end or when spring will be here but they do know that the days are growing longer. Some studies suggest that for many bird species, nesting and in some cases migration are influenced by photoperiodism or a reaction to the length of daylight. The pineal gland in birds’ controls song behavior and it kicks in the urge to sing when daylight reaches a certain point. Breeding hormones become more active encouraging a bit of territoriality. In theory, longer days should mean warmer days and therefore more access to food like seeds and insects. Sometimes you will hear males sing territory song in late fall and it’s a similar reaction to daylight length. This is fortunately not the only factor that controls when a bird will start to nest but it is a key step and that’s why some of those males are already singing in our backyards. It’s also the reason why certain species like red-winged blackbirds and sand hill cranes will appear in early spring despite the fact that there’s still snow on the ground. These are hardy and resourceful species that can find food when times are tough and can tolerate some snow and cold temperatures for shorter periods of time. Keep a look out for these birds that are starting to make themselves known because spring is on its way.