Seeds and fat balls do more than just fill small birds’ stomachs. New research from Lund University in Sweden shows that feeding during the wintertime causes birds to be healthier, since they do not have to expend as much energy fighting infections. A small change in body temperature can be fatal
A Swedish study shows that providing food for small birds during winter results in healthier birds with better immune response. As birds face new pathogens due to climate change and human activity, understanding factors like winter feeding is important for their survival.
A small change in body temperature can be fatal for humans. Small birds, meanwhile, lower their body temperature at night by several degrees during the winter. Just like us, the birds attempt to save energy when it is cold. If they are exposed to infection, the body’s first reaction is to raise its temperature, which clashes with the bird’s simultaneous need to save energy by lowering body temperature.
When the birds were exposed to a simulated infection, all the birds had essentially the same temperature during a fever. Instead of conserving energy to survive the winter, the birds without access to extra food were forced to use more energy in order to raise their body temperature high enough to battle infection.
Climate change and human activity are having an ever-increasing impact on animals. Wild animals come into contact with new pathogens that they have never encountered before. Bird feeding, then, can have positive and negative effects. Birds that visit feeding tables are exposed to more infection because of the spread of pathogens, but this could make their immune defenses more tolerant to a new infection.
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