Their feathers, roosting behaviors and adaptability help birds survive the cold, “nature’s proving ground.” By Margaret Roach Winter mornings begin at David Sibley’s Deerfield, Mass ...

Their winter plumage, technically called basic plumage, will appear lackluster. By spring, feather tips will have abraded to reveal a lustrous color, technically called alternate plumage.

Winter is the harshest time of year and as a result there are fewer species to look for. At my house, in the month of January, I have managed to see a maximum of 31 different species.

Some were dunlins probing mudflats for food. Sweeping low over tidal inlets, gray and white in winter plumage, the 6-inch birds left tiny footprints on the ooze over which they scampered.

"Even a bird like the black-capped chickadee which is really tiny — less than 10 grams — its feathers can keep it really warm, even in temperatures -10F or lower, as long as the plumage is in ...

Horned grebe in winter plumage© Courtesy Tommy Sharp Males and female pairs work together to build a nest.© Courtesy Heather Mellon ...

NORWELL — Explore the ways birds adapt to winter and learn local winter birding hotspots at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2 in a virtual session with the North and South Rivers Watershed Association.