As Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a powerful Category 4 storm last night, weather radar detected a mass within the eye of the storm, which experts believe to be the birds and possibly insects.
Kyle Horton, a researcher at Colorado State University who studies bird migration , told Vox that the mass of birds will likely disperse once the storm subsides, according to the Vox.
Powerful storms like Helene can carry seabirds , such as petrels, jaegers, and frigatebirds, far inland, leaving them exhausted and stranded in unfamiliar habitats where finding food becomes a challenge. "It's a challenging situation," said Andrew Farnsworth, a bird migration expert at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology . "We know that birds do die in these things." In fact, birders in central Georgia and even Tennessee spotted frigate birds—large seabirds with angular wings and a forked tail—this Friday as the storm moved inland.
While it may seem remarkable, research by Matthew Van Den Broeke, a professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, suggests that it is not uncommon for birds and insects to become trapped inside the eye of tropical cyclones. Historical reports dating back to the 19th century have documented this phenomenon, with some accounts describing the air as "filled with thousands of birds and insects." In a 2021 study, Van Den Broeke analyzed radar data from 33 Atlantic hurricanes that hit the US mainland or Puerto Rico between 2011 and 2020, and each one showed signs of birds and insects inside the eye of the storm.
Hurricanes like Helene can also have a significant impact on fall migration, when billions of birds migrate south in preparation for winter.
A map of migration from Thursday night, when Helene made landfall, reveals that millions of birds were migrating west of the storm in areas like Texas and Louisiana, but few, if any, were moving through Florida. However, once the skies clear after a storm, birds resume their migration in large numbers. "After the storm passes, we see these big explosions of birds at night," Farnsworth told the Vox.
It is important to recognize that birds have evolved alongside these storms for thousands of years. They possess the ability to detect approaching hurricanes by sensing changes in atmospheric pressure and know how to take shelter when storms arrive, such as by orienting their aerodynamic bodies towards the wind. "They've adapted to this, they've evolved with it," Farnsworth said. "Yes, storms are getting more extreme. But birds know how to deal with these things."
Kyle Horton, a researcher at Colorado State University who studies bird migration , told Vox that the mass of birds will likely disperse once the storm subsides, according to the Vox.
See this blue blob on radar.
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) September 27, 2024
These are birds stuck in the eye of Hurricane Helene! pic.twitter.com/traq2BQqWD
Powerful storms like Helene can carry seabirds , such as petrels, jaegers, and frigatebirds, far inland, leaving them exhausted and stranded in unfamiliar habitats where finding food becomes a challenge. "It's a challenging situation," said Andrew Farnsworth, a bird migration expert at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology . "We know that birds do die in these things." In fact, birders in central Georgia and even Tennessee spotted frigate birds—large seabirds with angular wings and a forked tail—this Friday as the storm moved inland.
While it may seem remarkable, research by Matthew Van Den Broeke, a professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, suggests that it is not uncommon for birds and insects to become trapped inside the eye of tropical cyclones. Historical reports dating back to the 19th century have documented this phenomenon, with some accounts describing the air as "filled with thousands of birds and insects." In a 2021 study, Van Den Broeke analyzed radar data from 33 Atlantic hurricanes that hit the US mainland or Puerto Rico between 2011 and 2020, and each one showed signs of birds and insects inside the eye of the storm.
Hurricanes like Helene can also have a significant impact on fall migration, when billions of birds migrate south in preparation for winter.
What is this strange artifact at 9:55?!
— ✞ Gabriel ✞ (@gabrielhaynes) September 27, 2024
Hurricane Helene radar produces a strange anomaly in eye of Hurricane. Not saying it's something spooky or some portal to release locust riding Nephilim ninjas- just found it strange, and wanted to note it. pic.twitter.com/HeNaaJ0wbq
A map of migration from Thursday night, when Helene made landfall, reveals that millions of birds were migrating west of the storm in areas like Texas and Louisiana, but few, if any, were moving through Florida. However, once the skies clear after a storm, birds resume their migration in large numbers. "After the storm passes, we see these big explosions of birds at night," Farnsworth told the Vox.
It is important to recognize that birds have evolved alongside these storms for thousands of years. They possess the ability to detect approaching hurricanes by sensing changes in atmospheric pressure and know how to take shelter when storms arrive, such as by orienting their aerodynamic bodies towards the wind. "They've adapted to this, they've evolved with it," Farnsworth said. "Yes, storms are getting more extreme. But birds know how to deal with these things."
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