It is in winter that we humans tend to admire, pity and envy birds the most. Unlike mammals, ensconced in fur and often able to escape to a relatively warm burrow, birds endure winter weather in the open, protected by nothing more than their feathers and dense thickets. No doubt, seed and suet purchases by empathetic humans peak in response.
Then again, we admire those species that stay for the winter, knowing that they could easily depart for warmer climes. Indeed, we are especially fond of those northern species that favor cold weather, instinctively migrating to our region for the winter months. But we also envy those birds that utilize their mobility to head to warm environments, never to experience the ice, snow and frigid winds of a Temperate Zone winter.
Our response to birds that winter in our home region likely corresponds to our personal tolerance of and fondness for the season.
