Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – Mild temperatures in December mean a slow slide down the slopes – little, if any shoveling in the driveway and a change in the wildlife you typically see this time of year.
While many birds fly south for the winter, some are more evident during Central New York’s wintery months, such as cardinals.
Lewis Grove at SUNY ESF says the lack of birds is due to the milder temperatures. In general, birds have little trouble finding food in the wild. When the snow begins to fall, however, birds are forced to rely more on feeders.
In fact, historically, cardinals were once rare in New York. The proliferation of bird feeders, however, allowed them to tolerate winters farther and farther north.
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