New study reveals that some oceanic seabirds follow and fly into hurricanes

A recent study published by Current Biology, "Oceanic Seabirds Chase Tropical Cyclones," found that certain birds tend to follow along the wakes of, and even fly through, tropical storms as a form of accelerated travel. This behavior had never been identified before, yet the Desertas Petreles (Pterdroma deserta), a small seabird from Bugio Island, had been found circumnavigating the cyclones crossing the Atlantic, the study says. Initially, scientists had predicted that their goal was to seek refuge in the calm conditions in the eye of the storm, yet over "one-third of them followed the cyclone for days, covering thousands of kilometers," said Francesco Ventura, author and postdoc at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). "When we saw the data, we nearly fell off our chairs. This is the first time we have observed this behavior."The Desertas Petrels nest in the Desertas off Madeora, where after a six-month breeding season, they take to the skies for weeks at a time, flying more than 7,500 miles in search of food. These pigeon-sized seabirds belong to the genus Pterodroma, meaning "wings on the run."The appeal of following the trajectory of tropical cyclones, however, seems to be the "favorable wind conditions with higher tailwind support than alternative routes," Ventura said. Incredibly, there does not appear to be any evidence of the birds injuring themselves while flying through these storms, even in strong tropical storms and hurricanes.Their food typically consists of small fish and crustaceans that dwell at depths of 600 to 3,000 feet. Since they cannot dive to these depths, the birds must wait until nightfall when their prey rises to depths they can reach. In tropical storms and hurricanes, however, their prey accumulates at the surface due to the drops in sea surface temperatures from cold water upwelling and increases in surface chlorophyll the study says.While destructive and powerful updrafts and winds guard these "easy meals" at the surface in tropical storms, it seems that the marine ecosystems are adapting to tropical weather in ways that have never been seen before."This study provides valuable insights into the resilience and foraging strategies of pelagic seabirds in the face of extreme weather events," said Caroline Ummenhofer, associate scientist at the WHOI.