When the weather gets violent – the wind battering against our windows and toppling over our backyard furniture – we humans tie up all that we can to protect them and make our way indoors, googling how to stay safe in the process.
But what about birds though?
What defense mechanism do they possess to protect themselves when the space that they inhabit the most, the sky, turns against them and makes it impossible for them to soar?
Birds, as we are coming to find out are fascinating and incredible creatures with a complex and planned ecosystem of mechanisms inside them that allow them to flourish in their tiny bodies, in this huge world.
They have specialized senses that help them stand strong and scientists are slowly but surely making their progress in understanding some of these mechanisms.
One such fascinating mechanism is how birds are able to tell a storm is coming and moreover protect themselves and their young ones and home from it.
You’re in luck because today we’re going to look at these questions exactly!
Do Birds Know When A Storm, Hurricane, Or Heavy Rain Is Coming?
They must, right?
Otherwise, how would our ancestors have been so sure of their navigating techniques to have used them as a sign of the upcoming weather conditions?
Because of their habitat, their predation, and the unpredictability of the weather, birds are gifted with a keen set of senses that make them aware of even the teeniest tiniest environmental change that could alert them to a storm.
They are also able to understand differences in atmospheric pressure, and they are also species that can hear well below 20Hz and this helps them stay alert on the arrival of natural calamities like a hurricane or tornado.
Their various senses also enable them to sense shifts in temperature, speed of the wind as well its direction, and humidity – which all indicate the coming of a storm.
Once they sense the storm rumbling closer, they show increased differences in their behavior patterns.
The specific ways it changes varies wildly and depends primarily upon the species as well as on different conditions like seasons, evolutionary behaviors, etc.
One common behavior observed among several species is increased consumption of food, where they frantically eat as much as possible in preparation for the coming months where they have no assurance about the availability of food and resources.
What Do Birds Do To Survive The Storm Or Hurricane They Know Is Coming?
The particular methods that birds adapt to escape the weather cannot be said for certain as different species prefer different methods to keep themselves safe. But I’ve mentioned a few ways they survive these calamities.
Run Away And Flee In Advance
The most common and natural instinct in us when danger flashes its red eyes at us, run!
Birds who are aware of the coming storm make an effort to quickly fly away from what they perceive to be the danger zone.
As birds have the added advantage of not having to follow set paths or roads when evacuating, they are often able to make a quick escape.
Even just a few miles can make a huge difference when talking about the severity of the storm, and thus birds try and race past the worst of the coming storm.
Another way birds make the big move to protect themselves is by preponing or postponing their already planned trips, like in the case of migratory birds!
Migratory songbirds like white-throated sparrows, migrate sooner than they might otherwise when they sense that a large storm is making its way during the annual spring or autumn migration periods.
Stay At Home And Hope For The Best
Alternatively, though, they might just decide to stay put and cross their fingers (talons?) and hope for the best.
Many non-migratory birds seek shelter in thick bushes and shrubberies when they sense that a storm is nearing their territory.
Trees and shrubs provide the best shelter in these cases as they have the ability to block wind really well and can keep birds dry even when it’s raining cats and dogs.
And hanging on when the weather is rough is not tough for them at all, so do not worry about that.
Their talons naturally rest in the clenched position and it actually takes muscle for them to unfurl them, thus making hanging on a pretty easy thing for them to do.
Do Bird Nests Get Destroyed When It Rains?
Not really or only very rarely. Birds are excellent architects and spend a good time looking for materials and intricately building their beloved nests.
When building nests in areas where rain and storms frequently come, the birds know that their nest must be finely woven so as to protect the precious ones inside.
But this integral strength is not only their only string suite.
Birds also build their nests deep in the crevice of branches and thus their nest gets protected by the branches at the top that prevent the water from penetrating through them and reaching the nest.
In Conclusion
And that, friends, is how a bird stays safe and sound during a storm or at least tries to.
Birds still suffer quite a bit of loss from the unprecedented weather conditions from time to time but we can and must still applaud them for their valiant efforts!
We hope you had fun learning with us today and we hope we taught you something new!
Thank you for reading!
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