ENJOY HOLIDAY SHOPPING AT

THE WILDLIFE AUTHORITY!

This holiday season we invite you to visit our store where you will enjoy a pleasant shopping experience, far from the crowds and the nightmare parking at the malls. You can enjoy the sounds of soothing nature music and trickling water from our birdbaths and fountains while you stroll through our store. We have hundreds of bird feeding products and nature gifts for the home and garden. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff is ready to assist you with gift ideas for the bird feeding enthusiast or someone who has never fed the birds. This holiday, bring home the gift of nature!

Books, Coffee, T-Shirts, and more!

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ARE YOU READY FOR THE WINTER “CROWDS”?

While we feed the birds year round at our house, nothing beats the rewards of winter feeding. When I walk outside in the morning to fill the feeders, the birds are waiting for me. The news of my arrival travels quickly through the yard. Sometimes the chickadees can barely wait for me to walk away before they fly in to get a seed and zip back to the shelter of the bushes to eat. The Blue Jays call their buddies from across the street and down the block—I can imagine that they are calling “The peanuts are here—hurry up!” Within minutes, I have a group of six to eight bright Blue Jays diving down to snatch a peanut and carry it off to eat. It’s funny to see them sometimes “weigh” each one, trying to find the heaviest peanut to take with them. I also add extra suet feeders during the winter. Suet is high in fat (2.5 times the calories per gram than grains) so it’s a great “high octane” food for cold weather. I make sure there is food for the birds first thing in the morning so they can refuel after the cold night.

Typically, early morning and late afternoon are some of the busiest feeding times at the feeders. Don’t worry that the birds will become “dependent” on your food. Studies show that your feeder is one of 23 or more stops a typical bird makes in a feeding day. If you must leave town for a few days, it is not disastrous—just a little inconvenient! The birds will find food at neighboring feeders. The really critical time to feed, however, is when we get an ice storm. When everything freezes over with a coating of ice, your feeder is more than likely the only place that the birds can find food. Covered platform feeders are great for winter feeding as they help to keep snow and ice from covering the food.

The Wildlife Authority has a good selection to choose from. Baffles also help keep the wet and frozen weather off the seed (as well as the squirrels). Don’t overlook the importance of adding a water source to your winter feeding plan—see the related article and coupon in this newsletter. Winter feeding can be a very satisfying experience—it’s also a great stress reducer!

WATER IN WINTER — A GUARANTEED WAY TO INCREASE YOUR BACKYARD ACTIVITY

What’s a sure way to attract birds to your feeders? Offer water---especially in winter! If you have ever worn a down-insulated jacket that was all matted up, you will understand why birds need water to groom in winter. By grooming themselves and fluffing out matted feathers they can better capture a “layer of air” that acts as heated insulation. Additionally, about 70% of a bird’s non-fat body tissue is water which needs to be maintained to avoid dehydration. Birds find some water in natural food sources—insects, berries and even from snow—but when those supplies dwindle, the water YOU supply is even more vital!

You can keep water thawed with a submersible heater placed directly in the water--it’s economical and safe as long as you use a high-quality, outdoor extension cord to plug the heater into an electrical source. In winter you can use a rough-surfaced, plastic saucer for a bird bath—ceramic baths are fine for summer use but may crack easily in frigid weather.

As firm believers in providing water year round, The Wildlife Authority stocks a great selection of the heated baths and heaters. (We are also featuring a coupon in this newsletter for you to use). Our heaters and baths all feature an automatic thermostat that will only come on when the water is cold enough to freeze. All of these products come with warranties from one to four years. The more expensive heaters use more wattage to work at lower temperatures and have longer guarantees. See our favorites below!

NEW TELEVISION PROGRAM

BACKYARD HABITAT

For those of you with cable television, the National Wildlife Federation and the Animal Planet have produced a new daytime program called Backyard Habitat. The show airs weekdays at 11 a.m. so you may want to record it and watch it in the evenings or on the weekend. Each day, viewers will learn how to transform an outdoor space into a NWF-certified wildlife haven. Check it out!

ASK TOM

What's happened to the birds--lately my feeders have been empty!

There could be several reasons for a slow down in activity at your feeders. Fall is the time when natural food is at its peak, so the birds may simply be taking advantage of all of the mature seed heads and berries that are out there to choose from. However, you should inspect your feeders to make sure that the heavy rains we had last month did not cause the seed to become caked up or spoiled in your feeder. If so, get rid of the old seed, clean and dry the feeder and put out some fresh seed. As the natural food supplies dwindle and the weather turns cold, the birds will be back to your feeders in full force!

Why don't bird’s legs and feet freeze when they walk around in the snow?

The feet and toes of birds--which are almost universally misidentified as legs and feet--are mostly skin, tendons, ligaments and bones. The number of blood vessels and nerve endings are greatly reduced. The skin is heavily scaled. To work properly, these tissues do not need to be as warm as vital body organs. The muscles that must be kept warm are in the legs, which are feathered and, therefore, insulated and warm. A few other features help. Larger, cold-weathered birds grow feathers on their feet and some owls and ptarmigans even grow feathers on their toes. Waterfowl store fat in their feet and toes, which helps insulate them. Many songbirds simply roost. While roosting, their belly feathers cover their feet and toes so that they can warm up. Watch the juncos and chickadees in your yard. You will see them take short breaks from feeding. These breaks may last 30 seconds to several minutes, but each time, the bird covers its feet and toes. During especially cold spells, many songbirds squat to cover their feet and toes while they eat!

IDENTIFICATION - What am I?

Carolina Wren

The Carolina wren is our year round resident wren. Their cheerful song, "tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle" can be heard all times of the year. The Carolina wren is about 6 inches long and has a warm, cinnamon color back with a rich buff color underside. They feature a prominent white stripe over the eye, which is easily visible. Their tail is usually upright and their beaks are long and thin. They forage on the ground and on the bark and foliage of trees, searching for insects and spider eggs (a favorite). If you are lucky, they will visit your feeder for suet or peanuts. Some folks have success offering them live mealworms. The Carolina wren will build a nest of mosses, rootlets, bark and twigs lined with fine materials. They will nest in natural cavities or in a wide variety of other spots, including wren houses, brushpiles, garage shelves, or hanging baskets. One of our customers reported them nesting on their deck in an abandoned Weber grill! They can raise 2 or 3 broods of young during nesting season. If you add a roosting pocket in a sheltered area of your yard, you may be fortunate enough to have them spend the winter months with you.

Avian Flu not a danger for bird watchers or feeders in North America

Sioux Falls, SD - Consumers who enjoy watching and feeding backyard birds are not in danger of contracting the Avian Flu, according to Dr. David Bonter of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. "The spread of the H5N1 strain of the flu across Asia and Europe is certainly a cause for concern. However, there has not been a documented case of the H5N1 strain in wild birds in North America. There is no need to be concerned about feeding birds," he stated.

Rob Fergus, Science Coordinator with the National Audubon Science Office, concurred with the Cornell findings. "The wild birds most likely to harbor or spread avian influenza are ducks and other waterfowl, often referred to as wild birds. There is a distinction between wild waterfowl, and the wild birds at our feeders," he said. "At this point in time, there is no evidence humans are at serious risk of contracting avian flu from backyard birds or bird feeding."

The Wild Bird Feeding Industry recognizes consumers may be concerned about the possibility of contracting H5N1 from their backyard feeders. "Human infections have occurred in people who have been closely associated with infected poultry. Not the wild birds at the feeder," noted Susan Hays, Executive Director of the WBFI.

The World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and numerous other international organizations are closely monitoring the spread and transmission of the H5N1 strain of influenza. "There is an overwhelming amount of information available on the web, and it’s good that consumers stay informed," Steve Runnels, President/CEO of the American Birding Association stated. "This is becoming a conservation issue, and we encourage consumers here in North America to continue to feed their backyard birds."

Wild birds accustomed to finding their favorite seed at the feeder need not be disappointed, especially with the onset of winter weather. "Base your feeding decisions on facts, not fears," said Tom Franklin, President, The Wildlife Authority and Conservation Director with the Izaak Walton League of America. "Outdoor enthusiasts and bird feeders should continue to enjoy their activities. But remember to use common sense. Cleanliness and sanitation should be maintained at all times, whether you’re a feeder or outdoor sportsman. Keep feeding areas and feeders clean, following the recommendations of the ‘6 Steps’ program created by WBFI and other birding associations."

Franklin’s reference to the ‘6 Steps to turn your yard into a sanctuary for birds’ is a tip sheet for feeders and includes information on maintaining healthy feeder stations. Fourteen organizations contributed to the development of the material, and it is available free to the public at www.backyardbirdcare.org.

A portion of the literature reads ‘Keep feed and feeding areas clean'. To help reduce the possibility of disease transmission in birds, clean feeders and feeding areas at least once a month. Plastic and metal feeders can go in the dishwasher, or rinse these and other styles with a solution of 10% bleach and warm water. Scrub birdbaths with a brush and replace water every three to five days to discourage mosquito reproduction. Rake up and dispose of seed hulls under feeders. Moving feeders periodically helps prevent the buildup of waste on the ground. Keep seed and foods dry; discard food that smells musty, is wet or looks moldy. Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned every three to five days, or every other day in warm weather. It’s good hygiene to wash your hands after filling or cleaning feeders.’

"Again, it’s the common sense approach to all possible infectants, not just the avian flu," said Paul Baicich of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. "Bottom line: H5N1 has pandemic potential, but it is not a pandemic virus. The situation is worthy of concern, but not panic."

North American birding associations include many trained ornithologists and biologists on staff, and these professionals are closely monitoring the avian flu situation. Consumers are encouraged to visit the following websites for updated information: