July 3, 2024, 5:18 am | Read time: 4 minutes
When rain is expected, people are quick to pull out an umbrella or throw on a raincoat. But what do birds do when it rains? PETBOOK explains how birds protect themselves from getting wet and what the strategies of different bird species are.
If the weather is dreary and damp, humans often take comfort and feel cozy being dry indoors. But how do birds react to the rain? Depending on their habitat and way of life, different bird species have different behavioral patterns. Nearly all birds are capable of short flights during rainfall. However, birds with particularly sensitive plumage, like owls, for example, must shield themselves from getting too wet. Otherwise, their feathers would become waterlogged and too heavy for flight.
Garden birds seek shelter from the rain
If you watch blackbirds and sparrows during a downpour, you’ll quickly notice that they seek shelter in birdhouses, under ledges, or in tree hollows. Dense bushes or a tree with lots of foliage are also popular places to shelter from the rain. There, the birds are able to wait until the rain clouds have cleared. Afterward, the blackbirds enjoy eating the many earthworms that have come to the surface to avoid downing in their burrows during the rain.
Waterbirds have water-repellent plumage
Waterbirds, such as swans and ducks, spend a large part of the day on or in the water. As a result, their plumage is covered in a thin layer of fat so that their feathers do not soak up water and dry off quickly. The birds have an uropygial gland, or preen gland, underneath the tail feathers. With the beak, they pick up the gland secretion and spread it all over their feathers. This is why waterbirds can very often be seen preening. Bird feathers have the same protective effect when it rains: the water just drips off. Nevertheless, most waterbirds swim to calmer shores and seek shelter from strong, gusty winds between reeds or corn dog grass.
During the rain, birds stay together to keep warm
Penguins and seagulls usually defy the bad weather by waiting it out. They remain in one place until the worst of it is over. Some bird species move close together in order to offer each other protection and warmth. In the case of penguins, even the very small birds manage to stay snug and warm in the ice and snow.
Birds of prey seem comparatively stubborn in the rain. They stop their soaring flights over their hunting grounds and look for an elevated lookout. There, they wait until the weather conditions improve.
Migrating birds rest during the rain
Migrating birds sometimes have to travel several thousand kilometers. If the wind blows in the wrong direction and there is too much rain, they stop to rest. In this case, they remain at the resting place until the weather conditions improve. If the weather gets worse, a so-called reverse migration can occur. The migratory birds then travel back some distance along their original route.
Parent birds act as umbrellas for their young
Bird parents go to great lengths for their offspring. Many breeding bird species, or those with chicks in the nest, sit on their eggs and baby birds during the rain. The soft feathers of the chicks provide very little protection from the water, and so are kept dry by their self-sacrificing parents. This way, the nest also stays warm.
Swifts have developed a unique survival strategy. During a heavy thunderstorm, the parent birds fly around until the sky clears. During this time, their offspring are left behind in a cave-like nest. Here, the chicks can survive for up to a week without food by reducing their metabolism, body temperature, and breathing rate. This way, the little swifts survive even if their parents are unable to return to the nest for a few days due to a heavy storm.
How you may help birds during rainy weather
If you want to provide native birds with shelter, classic bird feeders can be used. If these are filled with bird food, the birds will happily visit. Nesting boxes for different bird species also serve as cozy shelters in autumn and winter. In spring, these are often chosen as nesting sites. A combination of a bird feeder and nesting box in the garden (or on a balcony) offers birds everything they need for the year.
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