Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

MARQUETTE -- Are you a bird watcher or like to feed birds in your back yard?

There are steps you can take to make sure your feathered friends have what they need during this time of the year.

Winter months are a struggle for birds to maintain their heat and nutrient levels. The owner of Birds Unlimited in Marquette recommends putting out black oil sunflower seeds to help. He also spoke to us about another important thing birds need.

"Water is very important to birds in the winter because not only is it, in many cases, their only source of liquid water instead of pecking at snow, but they also need it to keep their feathers clean and preened properly so they can keep themselves insulated against the cold," said Birds Unlimited owner Michael Berger.

Berger also said that the unusual weather this winter has changed the types of birds typically seen in this area. He added that you might see birds from Canada heading through as they seek slightly warmer temperatures.