How Birds Stay Warm in the Winter Snow: Backyard Birds Revealed

The Backyard Birds Revealed video series is made possible by Wild Birds Unlimited. Birds look extra beautiful against a backdrop of snowflakes—and they’re often more active, too, as they search... Read more »

Pets & Animals Jan 11, 2026 0 0 Add to Reading List

The Backyard Birds Revealed video series is made possible by Wild Birds Unlimited.

[RUSSELL LAMAN VOICEOVER] Today, we’re trying to capture the beauty of our backyard birds on a snowy winter morning.

We’re wildlife filmmakers Tim and Russ Laman, and we usually travel the world filming. But in this series, we’re using our cameras to explore the lives of the birds that live right in our backyard in Massachusetts. Welcome to Backyard Birds Revealed.

[MUSIC] [WOMAN ANNOUNCER IN VOICEOVER] Wild Birds Unlimited helps you bring the joy of bird feeding to your backyard. With more than 365 stores, our experts help you choose the right food and feeders for your neighborhood birds. Shop online or find your local store at wbu.com. [MUSIC] [TIM LAMAN ONSCREEN AND VOICEOVER]

All right, so we’ve got a beautiful snowy morning here, and I’ve set up a blind so I can be out of the snow, but be really close to the birds. I’ve set it up really close to my bird feeder, and I’ve got nice woods behind in the background. I’ve got several perches near the bird feeder so that the birds can land on and I can get shots of them on some natural perches.

I think it’s just beautiful when it’s snowing. We’re trying to capture some shots of, you know, snowflakes hitting the birds and just tell the story of these amazing little birds that can survive the cold winter here in New England.

[MUSIC] [RUSSELL ONSCREEN AND VOICEOVER]

I just got a really amazing shot of a woodpecker eating snow. I’ve never seen that before. I don’t think it’s a behavior they do super frequently and it must be because all the freshwater is frozen right now and so they don’t have much else to drink.

[TIM ONSCREEN AND VOICEOVER]

One thing I find really amazing about these chickadees and titmice, and all these little birds that have their bare feet out there on the snow in the winter, they don’t have to keep their feet at their body temperature, the body temperature is really warm, like 105 degrees, but they let their feet cool down to even just a little bit below freezing, and they don’t waste a lot of energy keeping their feet warm. So it’s a pretty cool adaptation that they have to be able to live in this winter environment.

[RUSSELL ONSCREEN AND VOICEOVER]

Did you notice how fluffed up the birds are? They have this amazing ability to increase the amount of insulation they have by expanding their feathers. I wish I could expand my feathers to warm me up right now.

[RUSSELL ONSCREEN AND VOICEOVER]

Thanks so much for watching this week’s episode of Backyard Birds Revealed. It’s really amazing to get such beautiful shots of our backyard birds and to see these unique behaviors that we haven’t even seen before.

Please check out the other episodes in our series on the Cornell Lab YouTube channel and the All About Birds website.

[MUSIC RESOLVES]

End of Transcript

Birds look extra beautiful against a backdrop of snowflakes—and they’re often more active, too, as they search for food, water, and shelter to stay warm. Using slow-motion and super-wide-angle cameras, Tim and Russell Laman get close to some local favorites like turkeys, Blue Jays, Carolina Wrens, nuthatches, and chickadees.

Their cameras capture the beauty of falling snowflakes as well as the resourcefulness of hardy birds. Some of the survival tricks captured in this episode include: “drinking” snow on icy days; an ingenious solution to the problem of cold feet; and the incredible warmth of a fluffy coat of feathers.

About the Series

Backyard Birds Revealed is a five-part video series that uncovers hidden details of backyard birds through the expert, inventive cinematography of award-winning wildlife filmmakers Tim and Russell Laman. In each episode, Tim and Russell challenge themselves to capture difficult slow-motion and wide-angle shots, then delight in the detail and discovery that these incredible images allow.

Backyard Birds Revealed is made possible by Wild Birds Unlimited, the original and largest franchise system of backyard bird feeding and nature specialty stores, with more than 360 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Wild Birds Unlimited brings people and nature together with high-quality bird feeding products, expert advice, and resources to help you enjoy your backyard birds. Shop online, find your local store, or get information on franchise opportunities.

About the Filmmakers

Tim and Russell Laman are wildlife filmmakers whose work includes documentaries for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Geographic, BBC, Netflix, and more. Their work is inspired by the powerful role imagery plays in shaping how people see and value the planet. In their film and still photography, their aim is to spark curiosity, awareness, and action.

Watch the Whole Series

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Explore the Common Birds Near You!

Spotted Towhee by Connor Cochrane / Macaulay Library.

Get to know your backyard birds better with our Birds Near Me tool. This web-based feature gives you a customized list of your feathered neighbors anywhere in the U.S. and Canada, including photos and sounds to listen to. Fill out the form and we’ll send you a link to try it out!

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