During Storms, Most Animals Take Shelter. But Some Birds Take Flight.

[elleng]

Q. When the recent hurricanes hit, how did animals seek refuge?

A. For most wildlife, there is no early warning system when a big storm approaches. Most animals have no choice but to shelter in their usual environments.

Some birds, however, respond to weather signals like changes in barometric pressure and fly ahead of the storm. A few get caught in high winds and sent many miles away. A displaced roseate spoonbill, presumably from Florida, recently was observed in New Jersey.

The American Bird Conservancy reported that after hurricanes Irma and Maria reached the Caribbean, many flamingos left the islands of Inagua in the Bahamas ahead of the storm, returning in force afterward. But flamingos on the Cuban island of Cayo Coco died in the thousands.

In Puerto Rico, conservationists are worried about several species of birds and other animals in the island’s El Junque rain forest, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria.

When Hurricane Harvey reached the coast of Texas, the National Wildlife Federation observed that many animal and bird species had adapted to periodic hurricanes. Still, the severity of this fall’s weather prompted the release of toxic chemicals from various sites that could compound the usual problems, the group said.'>>>

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/13/science/animals-birds-hurricanes.html?

[Bayard]

1. I think they know what's coming

I know horses do, have seen them head to the barn on numerous occasions. Wild animals don't have that option.

I have wondered about the horses that were in the hurricanes. You see stories of dogs that were left tied to trees, or just abandoned, but nothing about what happened to horses.