Have you ever wondered where birds go when it rains? If so, You have a sound mind because rain brings many benefits as well as some problems to birds. Rain provides food for some birds while it takes away food for other birds, and so on.
Birds go to different places to take shelter in trees, shrubs, thick hedges, bushes, on or under rocks, on ships, parks etc to avoid getting soaked by rain water and also to avoid non-directional wind caused during rain or storm.
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Why Do Birds Avoid Flying In The Rain ?
There are many reason for the birds to not flying in the rain that can be bad weather, bad wind, susceptible to predators attack, etc
The problems birds faces in the rain as follows:
- Birds feather becomes wet by water in the rain that makes them heavy in weight leading to difficulty in flying, So birds avoid flying in the rain.
- Birds are thrown away from their actual flying paths by the random direction of the wing that is produced usually in the rain leading the birds to be attacked by other birds, fall on the water, hit one another, or other structures such as walls, buildings, and bridges. So birds avoid flying in the rain.
- Birds that are in rain are easily hunted down by other birds to eat them so the birds avoid the rain because it can be dangerous due to its predators.
- Birds that are flying in the rain can’t see its surroundings properly which can lead to collision among the birds, between the birds, collision with walls, trees, bridges, or wind fans etc. so birds avoid flying in the rain.
- Birds avoid flying in the rain because it requires huge energy in the cold winds that are created in the rain so they avoid flying while raining.
- Birds avoid flying in the rain because the food sources, which are typically insects, and other animals are not available during rain.
- Birds remain still or motionless on tree branches, and lines to prevent heat loss in cold and rainy conditions. Therefore they often tend to avoid flying in the rain.
Do Birds Hate Rain?
Yes, most of the birds hate rain except waterfowls and other birds, because rain will make birds wet, difficult to fly in the rain, vulnerable to attack, less or no insects available,and also by avoiding rain they can avoid heat loss.
Why do some birds hate rain while some birds like rain? Some Birds that like rains because it will enable them to eat food that is frogs, and insects that are hidden will come out during rain some of which becomes the food for some birds.
While Some birds love rain because it can bring the birds mating opportunities and dance also, particularly in case of peacocks. However, Some birds hate rains, particularly they hate the heavy storms, because it will make them wet causing difficulties in flying, and cause loss of their foods leading to starvation, especially if it is a long and steady rain. Therefore some birds hate rain.
How Do Birds Protect Themselves From Rain?
- Birds can save and protect themselves from the rain in many ways such as they can avoid predators by not flying, stop getting wet by not flying in the rain ,using their water repellant feathers and air trapped in the rain, and so on.
- Birds protect themselves by flying away from raining areas to Non-raining areas.
- Birds protect themselves by having shelter from nearby places such as trees, shrubs, thich hedges, bushes, etc
- Birds protect themselves through their water repellant feathers which can repel the water at certain extent while flying or soaking in the rain or storm. These feathers are water repellant due to preening done by the birds frequently using the water repellant oils that are produced in their preen glands.
- Birds protect themselves through the trapped air present in its feathers which acts as a good thermal insulator that avoids exchange of heat which results in keeping the birds warm during rain or storm.
- Birds protect themselves by avoiding flying in the rain because in rains predatory birds may attack the birds in order to eat and take advantage of the rain as well.
- Birds protect themselves by not losing heat by avoiding flying in the rain while also sitting still or motionless in the tree, nest etc and also by wrapping wings around their body.
- Birds protect themselves by joining in a group of other similar birds that can bring extra warmth while also efficient at avoiding their predators.
How Does Rain Affect Birds Flying?
- Yes, In many ways rain will affect birds flying that can be due to speed wind produced by rain, wetting of the feather by rain water, birds unable to see while flying in the rain so on.
- The rain affects birds flying as it creates random directional winds that throw the birds in different paths than the birds typical path.
- The rain affects birds flying as it wet the feathers making them heavy and difficult in flying.
- The rain affects birds flying as the birds are unable to see properly leading to the collision with other birds, walls, trees, windows, fences, poles, or windmills.
- The rain affects birds flying as the birds lose body heat rapidly especially if it is flying in the rain.
- The rain affects birds flying as rain drops continuously hit on its entire body.
Do Birds know When A Storm Is Coming?
Yes, according to some studies, birds can sense upcoming rains, especially storms, because these storms can bring changes in atmospheric air pressure as well as changes in cloud colors.
Thus Birds can sense storms using their middle ears as to what is happening and in which direction they need to fly in order to avoid these incoming storms.
For example, a peacock can sense the incoming rain thus it can start dancing for the incoming rain.
Why Do Birds Fly Low Before Rain?
Yes, During an incoming rain or storm birds are found to fly at low altitudes and in clear weather they are found to fly at higher altitudes which seems to be because they have engaged a long distance since they already knew its clear weather.
In other words before or during rain air pressure drops significantly in the atmosphere that makes the birds difficult or discomfortable to fly at higher altitudes so they start to fly in lower altitudes.
Birds especially peacocks may predict upcoming rain and dance before it occurs. Before it rains, we can observe many behaviors in birds such as seagulls, waterfowl, and others. Because the upcoming rain or storm is favorable for them as it brings the hidden insects, frogs etc to come outside.
Types of Birds Which Go During Rain
Birds go to different locations in a rain that all depends on the type of the birds it is. For example seabird can go to nearby sea rocks, ships and sea shore. Similarly landbirds, aquatic birds, songbirds go to different places that are given below.
Seabirds
There are seabirds of a larger size that can withstand and fly in light rain for a few minutes-hours, but even the large birds sometimes cannot withstand and fly in heavy rains and storms because it will wet them rapidly. So large seabirds may seek shelter from the rain at nearby boats, sea rock, sea shore, trees, structures, bridges, and buildings, or atleast they will find some places to sit.
Smaller seabirds are unable to fly even in light rain because they are thrown in unpredictable wind directions and can become blind in the rain, causing them to collide with one another, other trees, walls, power lines, houses and fall into the ground or water at the sea.
So small sea birds try to get shelter in nearby places such as rocks, boats, ships, sea shore that are available in the sea region, and can also visit trees, shrubs, and bushes.
Land Birds
Land birds spend much of their time on the ground foraging, walking, roosting, and other activities. In order to avoid getting wet in the rain, these birds hide under shrubs, trees, or in their nests.
These land birds, on the other hand, can withstand light rain because their feathers are water resistant and have trapped air in them, which keeps them warm.
Songbirds
To avoid getting wet in the rain, these songbirds seek shelter in tree leaves, bushes and shrubs. then they become still or motionless to preserve body heat by wrapping their wings around the body.
This is because when it rains, the environmental temperature drops, bringing a cool breeze in which they cannot fly, particularly if it is also raining.
Bird of prey
A bird of prey is a carnivore with hunting ability can take advantage of rain by hunting small birds that are unable to fly properly in the random directions of the wind in the rain, but raptors often seek shelter in nearby trees, cliffs, and other structures.
Read More : Eagle vs Falcon ?
Waterbirds
Since most aquatic birds live in water, rain water is normally not a concern for them since they have unique adaptations in aquatic environments that all also help them in the rain.
Waterbirds can also thrive in heavy rains due to their adaptation to water habitats. However, other land birds, unlike waterbirds, cannot withstand rain, particularly in heavy rains or storms.
Waterbirds adapted to water and rain by having more water resistant feathers than other species, allowing them to live in both water and heavy storms. The trapped air in these feathers keeps them warm in the rain and cold conditions created by rain.
Other Birds
There are many types of other birds that can go to different locations to take shelter from the rain that all depend on where they are flying during the start of a rain. If they can’t fly in the rain for some time they will go to nearby places for shelter.
However, if they can manage to fly for a few minutes they can probably go to their nests especially if it is a long and steady rain.