The effects of the recent ice storm that hit parts of
Vermont last weekend are still folding out, as tree limbs strain under the
weight of their ice-covered branches.
For birds, the storm poses both threats and opportunities. It all comes down to diet.
Forest Insectivores
While insects might seem like the most difficult food to
locate in winter, those birds that specialize in finding bugs on and within
bark will be largely unaffected by the storm.
Iceless tree trunks remain just as accessible to birds such as
woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, and others. The storm will actually provide long-term
benefit to these species. The wounds
from fallen branches will attract insects in the coming years, providing food
and creating nest cavities for forest insectivores.
Seed & Fruit
Eaters
For those birds that rely on seeds and fruit, their quest
for food just became a bit more challenging.
Birds like sparrows and goldfinches may need to forage in new locations
where ice hasn’t encapsulated buds and berries.
If you keep a bird feeder, seed-eating birds will love you right now!
Small Mammal Eaters
The birds of prey that specialize on small mammals, such as owls
and some hawks, will be having a hard time until the ice melts. Many of these predators locate their prey by
sound, catching and killing mammals as they move under the snow. But with the thick, icy crust across fields
and forests, these raptors may be unable to break through the ice to catch
their meals.
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