{"id":36653,"date":"2022-08-10T14:44:08","date_gmt":"2022-08-10T18:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=36653"},"modified":"2022-08-24T15:16:18","modified_gmt":"2022-08-24T19:16:18","slug":"habitat-tip-helping-birds-beat-the-heat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2022\/08\/10\/habitat-tip-helping-birds-beat-the-heat\/","title":{"rendered":"Habitat Tip: Helping Birds Beat The Heat"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>

Blue jays in bird bath by Mike’s Photos (CC BY-SA 2.0)<\/p><\/div>\n

As we move into the sultry dog days of summer, don’t forget our feathered friends. Birds don’t have sweat glands like people, so they’ve evolved other ways to cool off. Panting, like your dog, is one way, especially for our smaller songbirds. Their fluffy down feathers insulate from the heat, as they do from the cold. Birds will change their schedules to be out and active during the cooler parts of the day, and take a siesta in the shade during the peak heat. And birds like to splash in shallow water to cool off and rehydrate. Be it streams, puddles, or bird baths, a nice dip in cool waters is refreshing!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Bluebird bath by Olga Thornwell<\/p><\/div>\n

If you’d like to provide a bird bath, use a shallow dish, 1-2 inches deep, so the smaller birds aren’t overwhelmed. A terra cotta plant pot saucer will do (check out our instructions on making a homemade birdbath, <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>!). You can zhuzh it up with some non-toxic paint if you like. Place a clean flat rock in the bottom of the bath for the shorty birds and fill with cool clean water. Place the bath in the open, where the bird can use it without being accosted by feral cats or other predators. Keep it clean, refresh the water daily, and scrub with a weak bleach solution every few days and let dry thoroughly before refilling with clean water. If you really want to give the birds a thrill, place a small solar fountain in the bird bath. It helps keep algae and mosquitoes at bay and the birds will dance under the falling water. Remember: If you’re hot, they’re hot!<\/span><\/p>\n

For more tips on helping our wildlife stay hydrated, check out this <\/span>Wild Acres article<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Make sure you follow us on <\/span>Facebook <\/span><\/a>for more tips like these, plus more native animal and plant profiles!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Welcome back to HabiChat!<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

My name is Sarah Witcher, and I\u2019m new here! With the help of Edwin Guevara and Paula Becker, I\u2019ll be taking over in the HabiChat and Wild Acres<\/a> realm, hoping to continue to inspire (and be inspired by) Maryland nature enthusiasts. Feel free to reach out to us with any wildlife questions or topics you\u2019d like to know more about, or share what you\u2019ve done in the past year with your backyard habitat. We\u2019d love to hear from you!<\/em><\/p>\n

In this issue, we\u2019ll consider how to approach the \u201clittler\u201d critters and appreciate mini-Maryland wildlife through the use of a macro lens. Also, habitat tips about end-of-summer bird baths and our favorite ferns will be featured, with a fun leaf print activity for artists of any age. Finally, enjoy a new section that will highlight the very best of what we here at the Natural Heritage Program do within the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

We hope you\u2019ll come visit us and meet our new staff at the Maryland State Fair.<\/em><\/p>\n

Enjoy!<\/em><\/p>\n

Sarah Witcher
\nSarah.Witcher1@maryland.gov
\n410-260-8566<\/em><\/p>\n

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Click here<\/a>\u00a0to have HabiChat\u2014the quarterly backyard wildlife habitat newsletter from the\u00a0Wild Acres<\/a>\u00a0program\u2014delivered right to your inbox!<\/em><\/p>\n

In this Issue<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n