Mary Allen
Have you ever wondered what birds do during storms and thunderstorms? Rarely do you see them in the sky or waterfowl in the water during a storm? But where exactly are the animals and what are they doing? Here are four examples from the bird kingdom.
Birds have been on Earth for an incredibly long time, surviving the Ice Age and witnessing millions of years of climate change. Enough time to learn strategies to protect them from wind and heavy rain. And not only that: It is interesting that the ways of surviving extreme weather conditions differ from species to species.
Perseverers: Together We are Resilient
Some birds, including seagulls , geese, waders, and penguins, do it the easy way: they simply persevere during a thunderstorm and wait for the weather to improve. Whenever possible, the birds move close together and move into a position that offers as little a target as possible for storms and rain. The animal’s practical plumage, which has first-class warming properties, does the rest.
During storms and bad weather, large birds of prey such as sea eagles, kites, or buzzards simply perch calmly in elevated positions, so-called perches, true to the motto: “I have to get through this now, it will get better soon”.
That Seeking Protection: Waterfowl are Hiding
Ducks , greylag geese, and swans, i.e. waterfowl, do things similarly, but a little differently. They also persevere but look for hiding places, especially in bad weather. But where do the birds go for this?
Waterfowl slip between shore plants, and hide in sheltered bays or caves in the shore area. Thanks to a special fat secretion that the animals produce with the help of their so-called preen gland, the plumage is not affected by rain. So they can wait in their cover until the sky clears again.
Small birds behave similarly: They also flee into hiding places when it rains. For example, our garden birds such as sparrows and blackbirds fly into trees, nesting boxes, and buildings, or seek shelter in dense hedges and, if necessary, in the undergrowth. The herb layer on the ground is rarely used as cover.
Avoiders: Special Case Swifts
Incidentally, there are also birds such as the common swift, which generally avoid bad weather fronts – this is not always perfectly feasible, but works quite well in most cases.
If a storm lasts for several days and thus keeps adult swifts away from their young, the birds also have a special strategy for this: the young birds fall into a so-called torpor, a kind of lethargic state. Breathing rate and body temperature are reduced so much that the little birds can survive for up to a week without food. Usually more than enough time for their parents to return to the home nest after a thunderstorm.
Protectors: Children, Stay Dry!
Most bird parents, on the other hand, sacrifice themselves for their offspring and remain in the nest so that the little ones don’t get wet. Breeding birds in particular stay on the nest for as long as possible and warm the eggs.
Ground breeders press as close as possible to the nest to offer the least possible surface for the weather to attack. Birds such as the osprey or the stork , which breed relatively unprotected, simply persevere in the rain and demonstrate amazing resilience to storms, thunderstorms, and the like during breeding or rearing.