Where do birds go in a hurricane?
Most are able to seek out shelter, but none are truly safe during a storm
During a lull in the winds of Hurricane Rita back in 2005, a rubythroated hummingbird flew through the rain to get to our hummingbird feeder.
But a tree where a red-bellied woodpecker had taken refuge in a nesting cavity crashed onto our roof overnight, and the woodpecker was nowhere to be seen by daylight.
An irrepressible hummingbird might be able to endure a tropical cyclone, but other birds, such as a hardy woodpecker, may see their lives upended — the way some of us do.
Songbirds, such as bluebirds and house finches, seek safety from a tropical storm by sheltering themselves within trees and bushes. Dense vegetation and sturdy limbs shield birds from strong winds, while specialized tendons in their feet lock them securely onto a perch.
Woodpeckers seek refuge in tree cavities because their feet aren’t designed for perching on limbs.
But tree limbs and twigs will suddenly break off from the force of a hurricane, sending a violent swirl of vegetation and clobbering songbirds. And trees harboring woodpeckers inside a hole could be uprooted or snapped in two. Songbirds that survive a massive hurricane may find a critical shortage of wild fruits and seeds for nourishment.
Roseate spoonbills living along the coastline may escape the brunt of a tropical storm by flying inland — or by getting blown inland with advancing winds. Other coastal birds, such as laughing gulls and Forster’s terns, may stand their ground behind sand dunes while facing directly into the wind. Yet many coastal birds perish.
No bird is safe in a storm. Hurricanes hit at the worst time for migratory neotropical songbirds, including warblers and
thrushes, on their way to Latin America from late summer through autumn. When those birds begin flying across the Gulf of Mexico and encounter a hurricane, disaster looms.
Questions persist about how migratory birds cope with hurricanes. Do they fly around the storm? Do they head into the eye of a hurricane for calm winds? Or do they delay their migration until the storm passes?
Sometimes the answer is yes to those questions. But data is insufficient for firm answers.
We do know that migratory birds often get trapped in hurricane winds and perish at sea or get blown far off course. A massive group of migrating chimney swifts were trapped in Hurricane Wilma during 2005, and nearly all perished, save for a few that somehow wound up in Western Europe.