Thank everyone for sharing about this issue but I have a continuing need for clarification . Both USFWS and National Audubon as well as a number of others have previously stated that birds feet don't freeze to metal and metal feeders are not a risk. Yet clearly some birds have had their feet stuck to metal feeders or accessories as explained by several in this thread.
"Birds don’t have sweat glands in their feet, so they won’t freeze onto metal feeders. There’s no need to cover any metal feeders parts with plastic or wood to protect birds’ feet, tongues or eyes. " https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.fws.gov/nevada/nv_species/urban_wildlife/forthebirds.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwif5M__4ObQAhWjrlQKHZvEBNg4ChAWCF0wEA&usg=AFQjCNFNKgnEjcF5uo5dnlrJviN2T468yA&sig2=y_RjK6BWq4xnsbkazR3-jQ "“Our fingers may stick to metal ice cube trays because moisture freezes on contact with frigid metal,” explains Kress. “However, a bird's feet are covered with dry scales, so there is no surface moisture to freeze to metal perches. Eyes, tongues, and beaks are usually safe from exposure to metal feeder parts." Do Birds Stick to Metal Feeders In Winter? | Could there be another reason the birds documented in this thread had their feet stick to metal--maybe there was melted snow on the metal?? Some other explanation? Or were USFWS and National Audubon just plain wrong? SeEtta Moss Canon City On Dec 8, 2016 6:44 PM, "Eric DeFonso" <[email protected]> wrote: > > Regarding heat capacity...just a small correction to the earlier > discussion. Metals actually have relatively low heat capacities, especially > compared to water. What metals do have however is high heat *conductivity*. > Their free electrons make them especially good not just at conducting > electricity but also heat energy, and this is why the metal in the feeders > was so effective at draining the heat from the moisture in the birds feet. > > If you've ever lived near a large body of water like the Great Lakes or an > ocean, you've experienced firsthand the heat capacity of water, with its > ability to moderate temperatures year round compared to inland or high > elevation locations. > > Eric DeFonso > Westminster, CO > > > On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 1:23 PM Kathy Kay <[email protected]> wrote: > >> The very same thing happened at my feeder this very same week last year. >> I wasn't able to get to the Pine Sisken before it freed itself sans foot >> (separated at the knee). He still comes to my feeder and bird bath. He >> seems to be doing just fine a year after the incident. You may see your >> Goldfinch again soon. >> >> Kathy Kay >> Golden, CO >> >> On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 10:34 AM, Christy P <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> You have to be very careful applying heat of any kind to wildlife >> outdoors, especially one that may already be hypothermic. Oftentimes >> well-intentioned individuals kill animals trying to warm them back up by >> putting them into shock. Finding a heat source that only affects the >> portion of the bird that is stuck, as opposed to its entire body, would be >> recommended. With something as small as an American Goldfinch, assuming >> there wasn't a build-up of ice, maybe even just covering its foot with your >> warm hand and defrosting it that way may have worked, or would in future. >> >> Thanks for sharing Ira, it's always our worst fear to leave birds >> worse-off than they were to begin with. But at least you freed it. >> >> Christy Payne >> Wheat Ridge >> >> On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 10:27 AM Mary Keithler <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> Hi Ira and birders, >> >> Perhaps a hair dryer with a long extension cord would work better. >> >> Mary Keithler, Arapahoe County >> >> >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Dec 8, 2016, at 8:41 AM, Ira Sanders <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> This morning when I went to put out the feeders, there was a goldfinch >> hanging from the metal arm of the hooks we use to hang the feeders. At >> first it wasn't moving and I was wondering how a bird could somehow die in >> that position. I have no idea how long it was there, but I'm sure it was >> long enough to weaken it. As I got closer, I saw it's eyes were open and >> then it started to flutter a little. It's foot had frozen to the iron arm >> and it was hanging by 1 foot. I ran in to get some water to get it loose, >> but our efforts, which were incompetent and inadequate, didn't save all of >> it's foot. >> My first efforts only caused ice to form and made it worse. >> The bird did fly from Tammy's hand but part of it's foot was still on the >> metal. Obviously we did it wrong. In retrospect, I don't think warm water >> was a good idea at all. >> In case someone else has this same miserable experience, maybe some >> forethought could result in a successful outcome and not our utter failure. >> >> -- >> Ira Sanders >> Golden, CO >> "My mind is a raging torrent flooded with rivulets of thought cascading >> into a waterfall of creative alternatives." >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado Birds" group. >> >> >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> >> >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> >> >> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/ >> msgid/cobirds/CABF3siFD4-93S4BVOPBHFU26HE%2BPZEHxTdD- >> J88oz%2BN4W0Y3wQ%40mail.gmail.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CABF3siFD4-93S4BVOPBHFU26HE%2BPZEHxTdD-J88oz%2BN4W0Y3wQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado Birds" group. >> >> >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> >> >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> >> >> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/ >> msgid/cobirds/31080AF3-9EB9-4A87-A266-53DA68F4D267%40gmail.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/31080AF3-9EB9-4A87-A266-53DA68F4D267%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado Birds" group. >> >> >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> >> >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> >> >> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/ >> msgid/cobirds/CADobSodOHKwWuYvcqJqLA8ZGUnAo-Em-t8YkqWu2%2BBDtN-tohg% >> 40mail.gmail.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CADobSodOHKwWuYvcqJqLA8ZGUnAo-Em-t8YkqWu2%2BBDtN-tohg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado Birds" group. >> >> >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> >> >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> >> >> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/ >> msgid/cobirds/CAKYg4NOyHyz6n%2BALnm-tmSJFJa6Fjg8omWz7N2PU1YkYYm5vX >> Q%40mail.gmail.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAKYg4NOyHyz6n%2BALnm-tmSJFJa6Fjg8omWz7N2PU1YkYYm5vXQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> >> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/ > msgid/cobirds/CAFjVA_ZWDtYH%2B_tpVpc84xqRjxJ8UJ-S% > 2BcZEz9RRnTgefhu5YA%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAFjVA_ZWDtYH%2B_tpVpc84xqRjxJ8UJ-S%2BcZEz9RRnTgefhu5YA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. 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