A few months ago I received a gift that has made staying inside in cold weather a joy. My son and daughter-in-law, Tim and Prudy Robisch, gifted me with a bird feeder and the necessary items for the birds to eat.

The bird feeder is shaped like a small cottage with a steep roof. Two walls of the cabin and the large roof provide plenty of room for my feathered friends.

As I watched the birds from early morning until late afternoon I began to notice certain behaviors similar to those of my human friends.

To begin only male birds visit the feeder dressed up in their winter finery. Red feathers are definitely in vogue but I have seen chickadees in their formal white, gray and black tuxedos.

I have no idea what the female birds are eating during the winter months. None of the males arrive with a take out bag.

The food is a base of peanut butter covered with a layer of various bird seeds.

A small spatula works well to spread the peanut butter on the roof and walls. Pressing the seeds into the peanut butter completes the order. The spatula also works well in scraping surfaces before refilling.

But the most intriguing fact about the birds is how their behaviors resemble those of all of us humanoids.

There is definitely a king of the feeder, but he has the attitude to drive the other birds away.

Some of the birds choose their time to visit when no other birds are present. Other birds struggle to maintain an eating place.

One timid bird flies down to my deck chair. From there he looks into the house as if he were deciding whether or not to move in.

Now I know why so many gifted scientists choose to observe animals in their native habitat. Their studies enable them to correlate animal behavior with our human behavior. It almost invites you to name the birds for the human friends they resemble.

With the help of my human family and the daily visits of “my” birds I am moving through these frigid days with a smile on my face.

Stay safe, stay strong and keep smiling.