Snowbird Snuggles In

Nothing like a nice nest of twigs and snow to keep you warm on a winter s night. The gray jay takes the weather in stride, though these Canadian birds don t fly south for the winter, and they start their breeding season in mid February when temperatures are below 5 degrees Fahrenheit ( 15 degrees Celsius). A new study by researchers at the University of Guelph finds that these birds survive in their winter wasteland by storing berries, fungi, insects and even bits of scavenged meat in the nooks and crannies of trees. The new research, published in the journal Oecologia, revealed that spruce and pine trees make better treasure troves than deciduous trees, perhaps because the resin in conifers helps preserve the birds food. The findings explain why gray jays seem to be disappearing from areas without much pine and spruce