Can Birds Fly In Rain?

Did you know that birds have hollow bones ? Hollow bones reduce their weight just enough for flying. More weight can be the difference between whether a bird will manage to fly or not. Imagine a bird completely soaked to the bone and caught in the rain. If the feathers get wet, that makes their wings and body heavier. Will it be able to fly?

Can birds fly in the rain?

Although I left you with the thought of heavier weight in the introductory paragraph, birds do fly in the rain. However, as you might have guessed, birds do have some tricks up their sleeves (or wings) to bypass rain issues. Here’s how they manage to stay airborne when the heavens open up:

Feather Power: Birds have waterproof feathers. Birds pick up an oily fluid secreted by the preen glands located near their tail. This fluid is mostly waxy, and contains diester waxes , fatty acid and other fat molecules in it. They rub this oil all over their feathers. This oily fluid makes their feathers waterproof, and when it rains, the feathers don’t wet much.
Quick Shake: When birds get wet, they often give themselves a good shake. This rapid shaking motion helps to remove excess water from their feathers, preventing them from becoming too heavy and waterlogged. After a few shakes, they are ready to Take flight again.
Airspeed Adjustment: Birds are excellent at adjusting their airspeed to cope with the rain. They may fly slower to minimize the impact of raindrops or change their flight patterns to avoid the heaviest downpours.

Some birds like ducks, sea gulls paddle and swim in water. Sea gulls take a nose dive into water to hunt for fish. However, we should still remember that the feathers are not completely waterproof. Birds don’t prefer to fly in rain for long, and unless absolutely needed, they don’t either. During a downpour, the feathers might get wet due to prolonged flight in rain. This can lower the body temperature of the bird, causing hypothermia .

Birds with larger feathers generally have an easier time in the rain than birds with smaller, delicate feathers. Larger feathers are sturdier and so the impact of raindrops on the feather is far lesser.

Although birds can fly in rain, it is humane to arrange for a bird shelter. A bird might take a quick break in here, or maybe have a sip of water. In fact, they can even wait our the rain inside this shelter, if they come across it.

Glossary

Hollow Bones: Hollow bones refer to the lightweight structure of bird bones, characterized by a network of air cavities within them. These hollow bones reduce the overall weight of birds, making them more suitable for flight.

Preen Glands: Preen glands, also known as uropygial glands, are specialized glands located near a bird’s tail. They secrete an oily fluid that birds use to groom and waterproof their feathers.

Diester Waxes: Diester waxes are a type of waxy substance found in the oily fluid produced by preen glands. These waxes contribute to the waterproofing of bird feathers.

Airspeed: Airspeed is the velocity at which an object, in this case, a bird, is moving through the air. Birds can adjust their airspeed to deal with various environmental factors, including rain.

Hypothermia: A drop in body temperature caused due to cold weather or rapid loss of body heat.