January 2022 - 21

Rough-legged hawks are fully feathered down their legs to help them adapt and survive winters in Wyoming. (Photo by Troy Powell)
up these fat deposits. During the winter this
extra fat fuels their ability to generate body
heat and to forage.
FEATHERS
A bird's feathers are another critical
winter survival feature. Birds spend a lot
of time preening to keep their plumage in
good condition. Preening helps spread an
oil produced by the uropygial gland on the
rump. Preen oil helps maintain the integrity
of feathers by keeping them flexible, repelling
water and preventing barbules - tiny hooks
that give feathers a more solid appearance
- from breaking.
" When a bird preens it zips its outer
feathers together like Velcro®, " Orabona said.
" This helps with flight feathers, but also keeps
birds warm by keeping out the elements. The
downy ones underneath insulate, just like you
and I wear a down jacket. The air pockets
around the downy feathers retain heat. When
you see a bird tuck its bill into its shoulder, it's
breathing warm air into its feathers. "
WHY IS THAT ROBIN HERE WHEN THERE'S STILL SNOW?
(Photo by Francis Bergquist)
American robins are the harbingers of
spring, but what about that robin that
shows up while there's still two feet of
snow on the ground? These seemingly
out-of-sync birds are just following the
migratory instincts in their DNA.
The odd stray might survive, or
it might become food for another
creature. In the case of robins, it's
a misnomer that they can't survive
because they eat worms and bugs
which aren't available if the world
is frozen. While crickets, spiders,
earthworms and insect larvae make
up an important part of a robin's diet,
it also eats berries and other wild
fruit like other wintering birds. In fact,
small populations of robins remain in
Wyoming year-round.
- Lisa Ballard
Wyoming Wildlife | 21

January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2022

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January 2022 - 2
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/dec-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
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