Hurricane Florence has captured people’s attention this week, and it’s a sure bet that this unusual weather is also being closely monitored by hundreds of millions of migrating birds.
This is the peak of the fall migration season, after all, and birds avoid bad weather — which is helping scientists predict migration patterns.
“Where it’s going to rain can have interesting impacts on birds. It can sort of outright just shut down migration,” explains Kyle Horton, a researcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “But right behind the storm can be really favorable conditions, so the migrants may take off as the storm sort of sweeps through.”
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
