Ryan D.

Well, it’s official: the first snow of the season has fallen on parts of Massachusetts, and while the human residents have a range of reactions (joy, frustration, excitement, disgust, and even denial, depending on your opinion of October snowfall), our native birds, too, have a variety of ways to cope with stormy weather.

Birds that typically roost or take refuge in shelters of some kind will do so, either in natural cavities or nest boxes, sometimes huddling together to share heat. Perching birds will perch as close to tree trunks on the leeward side (sheltered from the wind) as possible, taking advantage of the natural grasping reflex in their feet to stay put, even as they sleep (possibly even entering a state of torpor, or lowered metabolism and body temperature, to conserve energy). Herons and other wading birds will find what shelter they can in low vegetation, while some ducks and other swimming birds will actually ride out the storm on open water, tucking in their extremities for warmth.

To commemorate the first snowfall of the season, here are five “songbirds in the snow” from our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest.

Small but mighty, kinglets are barely bigger than hummingbirds, weighing less than half an ounce, and yet they are still capable of surviving in remarkably cold environments, in some regions overwintering in places where nighttime temperatures can fall below 0°F. Their preference for the upper canopy of thick stands of tall conifers, especially spruce and fir, coupled with their diminutive size, makes them difficult to spot, but fall migration is likely your best chance.

Both Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned kinglets are migrating from northern forests to their wintering grounds and passing through Massachusetts this time of year, but only individuals of the golden variety tend to linger beyond the fall migration period. You’ll need a keen ear to pinpoint the very piercing call of the male Golden-crowned Kinglet, which is so high-pitched that some older birders find that they lose the ability to hear the highest notes as they age.

Here are five photos of “kingly” Golden-crowned Kinglets from our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest.