Pennsylvania Game News - February 2024 - 4

Section Supervisor.
" But deer will certainly group up
here in the winter and sometimes use
south-facing slopes and places where the
snow is not as deep, " he said, referring
to conifer stands that see less wind and
higher nighttime temperatures.
SONGBIRDS
Some of the smallest creatures in the
woods, songbirds would seem especially
vulnerable to winter's chill. But don't
underestimate them.
Those that live in the state year-round
- like cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees
and woodpeckers - are generalists. That
means they feed on all sorts of things. So
ADAPTATIONS
There are some other ways wildlife
deals with winter.
Bobcats, for example, don't store fat
like some other species and are strict carnivores.
So they must frequently roam about
their large home ranges, even in winter,
looking for food.
" But they have some very specifi c adapta�
ons to help, such as large paws covered
in fur that allow for travel across snow, as if
they were wearing snowshoes, " said Game
Commission biologist Tom Keller.
Other predators, such as ermines and
least weasels, turn white to both keep from
being eaten and to get closer to prey.
Snowshoe hares, meanwhile, survive by
combining those strategies. Like bobcats,
they have large feet that help them move
atop deep snow, and like some weasels,
they exhibit seasonal camoufl age, turning
white to match their wintry background.
They also move less in winter to conserve
calories. That's a common winter
survival tac� c of many species.
" On especially cold days, squirrels may
choose to stay in their nests rather than
forage abroad, " noted Emily Boyd, Small
Game Mammal Biologist for the Game
Commission. " It does seem like winter ac�
vity overall is reduced. "
4
when summer's insects are largely gone,
they fi nd seeds and more to keep going
in winter, said Stefan Karkuff , the Game
Commission's Avian Recovery Biologist.
And
they know how to get out of the
weather when needed.
Many birds, he noted, seek thermal
cover to avoid bad weather and cold
winds. This includes evergreens, tree
cavities, brushpiles, fallow fi elds and,
for waterfowl, smaller bays and inlets on
the leeward side of land. Some birds, like
ruff ed grouse, plow beneath the snow to
avoid the coldest overnight temperatures.
" Golden-crowned
kinglets, one of
our smallest birds, are masters of winter
survival, " Karkuff added. " Like many
birds in winter, they puff their feathers
to increase the boundary between skin
and the outside air. This helps them retain
heat. Think about wearing a cotton
T-shirt versus a puff y down jacket in
winter.
" They have also been documented
burrowing into snow clumps that build
up on evergreen boughs to survive the
coldest nights. "
Another survival tactic often employed
by nuthatches, chickadees, titmice
and bluebirds is " communal roosting. "
That, he added, is when many
individuals of the same species cram into
the same space to take advantage of the
body heat generated by the entire group.
" Not normally social during the nesting
season, they make exceptions during
winter to survive, " Karkuff said.
TURKEYS
Turkeys, though of course social yearround,
similarly make a point of fl ocking
together in winter, said Game Commission
turkey biologist Mary Jo Casalena.
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2024

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