NORTH CAROLINA -- You may notice your bird feeder has been extra busy these last few days. Birds have to eat up to keep warm during these cold nights.

A lot of them get most of their foods from ponds and lakes but those are freezing over. It's a threat not only to their food and water source but their safety.

"Even the middle of the lake can freeze on them, or if they're trying to get out they fly out and they can't quite get the momentum to get up,” said Sarah Gatto, owner of Wright’s Birding Center. “Then they get up on the ice, and they tire themselves out and can sometimes die from exhaustion. If they can't get food and stuff, then they don't make it."

Experts say, if you do see animals stuck in frozen ponds, be very careful trying to get them out if they're at the edge, and immediately call animal control.