"Of Feathers, Fat & Freezing" Quiz

Lost

Warmed

Awakened

Gathered

To explain how the feathers of chickadees function in different environments

To provide information about the best locations for chickadees to live in order to survive

To communicate the problems chickadees encounter as a result of their small size

To describe the ways chickadees have adapted to be able to stay alive in cold climates

They do not roost together in flocks as some birds do but spend the night alone. (paragraph 10)

This means that sometimes there is well over a 100-degree difference between a chickadee’s body and the air temperature only an inch away. (paragraph 3)

Without any feathered insulation, heat would quickly be lost and much energy wasted in attempting to keep their toes as warm as the rest of the body. (paragraph 6)

Since they don’t have crops in which they can store food to eat later, they must eat enough each day to survive the long, 18-hour night. (paragraph 9)

Chickadees may be small birds, but they are very strong and intelligent. Unlike other birds, chickadees do not migrate in the winter. Instead, they enjoy staying in cold climates such as Alaska, even though the temperature can be much colder than their bodies.

When the winters grow colder, chickadees spend time fluffing their feathers. The colder it becomes, the more they fluff, so that sometimes they look like furry balls. By doing this, they are able to stay warm and protect their skin from the icy temperatures an inch away.

Chickadees are tiny birds that can be found in extremely cold climates. To stay warm, they rely on fluffing their feathers, eating lots of food, and using the nights for sleeping. They have found many ways to protect their bodies from becoming too cold.

Many people have seen the tiny birds known as black-capped chickadees. Although these birds are only the size of a person’s thumb, they have very thick feathers. They also prepare by storing food so that they can survive during long winters.