Do these beautiful birds have hidden talent?
A group of scientists studying golden-winged warblers make an
astonishing discovery when these pretty songbirds unexpectedly veered off their migration path:
Analysis of the data revealed that the birds took off for Florida several days in advance of a large, severe thunderstorm system that was advancing across the Great Plains.
A new study suggests that these warblers detected the severe weather and got the heck out of the way—an ability never before documented in birds.
And this wasn't just any storm:
A chance look at a weather report gave scientists their hint—right around the time the birds left Tennessee, a severe weather system clobbered the Midwest, spawning 84 tornadoes that killed at least 35 people.
How do scientists think they can sense severe weather?
The scientists theorize the birds were tipped off by infrasound—a type of low-frequency noise—produced by the storms. Although humans can't hear infrasound, birds can, and the destructive nature of these storms may make it advantageous for the birds to get out of the way despite the high-energy costs of flight.
You can read more about the theory and the study at
National Geographic.