Where birds go in a hurricane
Faraaz Abdool is looking for the Abaco Parrot; and though the prognosis appears bleak, he is hoping that these ground-nesting birds found cover on other islands of the Bahamas during the long rain of Dorian. All photos by Faraaz Abdool Hurricanes are massive rotating weather systems packed with howling winds and torrential rain. Birds are tiny, feathered creatures, some weighing no more than a few grams. It’s almost unfathomable that many birds are able to weather storms which flatten entire habitats. The truth is the ability of a bird to survive one of these mega-storms depends on a few factors. Firstly, let’s consider how different birds deal with an approaching weather system. Some prefer to hunker down while others take to the sky in last-ditch attempts to escape. A particular species’ predisposition to stay or flee is crucial in determining how well it fares in extreme weather conditions. As a hurricane forms over the open ocean, seabirds are the firs...