Hurricanes and Heatwaves: How Does Extreme Weather Affect Birds?

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The Science of Birds

Miscellaneous


This episode—which is Number 72—is about what happens to birds, not just in bad weather, but in really bad weather. We’re talking hurricanes, floods, droughts, heat waves, tornadoes, maybe even the occasional sharknado, and so on.How do birds deal with all these natural disasters? We’ll get into that.We'll be talking mostly about the more immediate effects of storms and other extreme weather on the survival of individual birds and their populations.Birds are tough little buggers. They’re tougher than they might look. Many of them live long lives in the face of continual challenges like predators, aggressive rivals, wild temperature swings, strong wind, and heavy precipitation. But an extreme weather event can often be the ultimate test of survival for a bird. Links of InterestThe Southwest Is Facing an ‘Unprecedented’ Migratory Bird Die-OffWhere Do Birds Go In A Hurricane?  ~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website Birds and Beans Coffee - Get yourself some delicious, bird-friendly coffee that preserves habitat for migratory and resident birds in coffee-growing regions.Support the show