Riders on the storm: The birds that fly into hurricanes

Riders on the storm: The birds that fly into hurricanes tells the fascinating story of the Desertas petrel, a small seabird that does something very unusual when faced with hurricanes. While most animals and birds try to avoid these powerful storms, the Desertas petrel actually seeks them out. Hurricanes are massive storms with winds that can reach up to 150 miles per hour and waves as high as 26 feet. These storms are dangerous for most creatures, and seabirds usually avoid them by staying in their burrows or flying far away. Some birds, like frigatebirds and albatrosses, are known for their ability to fly in strong winds, but even they try to avoid the worst parts of hurricanes. The Desertas petrel, however, sees hurricanes as an opportunity. When a hurricane passes over the ocean, it stirs up the water and brings deep-sea creatures like squid, octopus, and cuttlefish to the surface. For the petrel, this means a feast is waiting. Instead of hiding, the petrel flies straight into the storm, using its long, slender wings to glide through the powerful winds. Scientists have studied these birds by attaching lightweight GPS trackers to them. They discovered that Desertas petrels make some of the longest journeys of any seabird, traveling up to 12,000 kilometers across the Atlantic Ocean. The birds use a special flying technique called dynamic soaring, which lets them move between slow and fast air currents without flapping their wings much. This helps them save energy and travel great distances.

The petrels are not just brave; they are also very smart. They seem to know the patterns of the winds in the North Atlantic and use them to their advantage. When a hurricane is nearby, the petrels adjust their flight paths to get closer to the eye of the storm, where the best feeding opportunities are. After the storm passes, they follow its wake, foraging on the creatures that have been churned up from the deep. The hurricanes also change the ocean in other ways. As the storm moves, it mixes warm surface water with cooler water from below, bringing nutrients and food to the upper layers. This attracts zooplankton and small fish, which in turn attract larger predators like the petrel. The birds are perfectly adapted for this kind of life, with wings designed for gliding and a body built for long-distance travel.

Not all birds can handle hurricanes as well as the Desertas petrel. Some species are blown off course or starve when storms hit. For example, winter storms in Europe have caused thousands of seabirds to die because they couldn't find enough food. Other birds, like the veery thrush, seem to sense when a bad hurricane season is coming and leave early to avoid trouble. Scientists are still trying to understand how these birds know when to migrate. The story of the Desertas petrel shows how some animals have evolved to take advantage of even the most extreme weather. While hurricanes can be devastating for people and many animals, for the petrel, they are a chance to thrive. As hurricanes Imelda and Humberto churn the Atlantic, these remarkable birds may already be riding the winds, searching for their next meal. Nature is full of surprises, and the Desertas petrel is a perfect example of how life can adapt to the wildest conditions.