Fluffed Against The Cold

January 27, 2026

Like most mornings recently it was mighty cold this morning. Actually it was 10° when I took this picture. This tan striped White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) was fluffed up to keep warm while getting its breakfast of hulled sunflower seeds.

By fluffing up their feathers, birds are creating trapped body heat against their skin, which acts like a down jacket. That trapped air is warm, helping to keep the bird comfortable.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.