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Migrating Birds and Precipitation

Migrating birds do not fly well through heavy precip and will often be forced to land if a storm is strong enough. If the birds can detect the storm by sight, smell, sound, humidity or pressure, they may fly around or away from it. The NEXRAD scans below show a precipitation event being avoided by migrating birds. The birds are crowding and reversing direction 2-5 km from the storm cell.

Migrating birds avoiding a storm front Migrating birds turning away from a storm

dBZ

ND

-28

-24

-20

-16

-12

-8

-4

0

4

8

12

16

20

24

28

migrating birds near a strom front reverse migration near a strom front

kts.

ND

-64

-50

-36

-26

-20

-10

-1

0

10

20

26

36

50

64

RF

DLF: Laughlin AFB TX (29.27N 100.28W):
Base Ref 124nm / Elev=0.5 deg / 0.5 km²/pixel
Clear Mode / VCP 21
04/28/00 03:18 UTC - Max: 63 dBZ DLF: Laughlin AFB TX (29.27N 100.28W):
Radial Vel 124nm / Elev=0.5 deg / 0.5 km²/pixel
Clear Mode / VCP 21
04/28/00 03:18 UTC - Max: -55 kts +52 kts

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