Thanks for this discussion. There was a hawk sitting on top of one of my feeder posts yesterday! I couldn’t see what it made off with but it was both mesmerizing and hard to watch. The only consolation in the loss of a bird is knowing that the raptors don’t have it any easier when the ground is covered in snow so our feeders help them too.

The first thing that you should do is to go outside and make sure he is still alive. If he is, bring him inside, warm him up, and call a wildlife rehabilitator for help. You can find a list of rehabilitators in your area via a Google search or try Animal Help Now. Birds usually don’t die from the cold, they are hardy little characters, but may succumb to starvation and sickness which is why it is best to call for help before letting him back outside. Thanks for caring!

Certain types of Crabapple tree fruit are not as appealing to birds as others. Some types have fruit that is too large, too hard, or simply not to the birds’ taste. You can find out more about what Crabapple trees are preferred by birds in this article: What Type of Crabapple Tree Attracts Birds?.

If you think he is still alive I would put him in a box with warm towel and see what happens. Be gentle and dont warm him too fast!

I have a frozen cardinal on my balcony this morning. Not sure if I should try to carefully dig him out and defrost. He looks like he came to the balcony to get away from the wind then fell asleep and froze. Not sure if he is dead or alive. Any suggestions?

Marie

Birds have what is called a heat exchange. As the warm blood flows towards the feet, it warms the cool blood returning to the heart and is cooled itself. This means there is very little heat loss in their feet. Plus, I just read, there is very little soft tissue in their feet as the muscles are higher up on the leg.