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Birding/How to robins survive strong rain storms?
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Question
Rpbins build nests and raise babies every year in my garden.
This year one nest blew down--it was built near the end of
a slender branch in my sycamore tree. I watched the female
patiently pick up the debris, and rebuild the nest, but in the
same precarious position, where it blows wildly in the strong
winds we have been having. Tonight we have had a windy down-pour and I wonder, how do small birds manage to weather such
a storm? And what happens if the nest gets wet, especially
if there are newly laid eggs?
Birds are waterproof and well insulated, so they do just fine in most rainstorms. The incubating robin (as do all birds) has an "incubation patch", a bare spot on the abdomen. This bare skin has lots of blood vessels and is very warm, the warmth being used to incubate the eggs. So the eggs are protected by the adults' waterproof bodies and warmed by the adults' skin. So the side of the nest might get wet but not the bottom and even if it does,the eggs are waterproof as well - as long as they stay warm. The adults also regularly turn the eggs to distribute the warmth and keep the membranes from sticking. Obviously, this is not a perfect system as birds' nests or eggs do occasionally get destroyed in storms, but it works more than well enough.
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thank you for your prompt reply--I feel reassured that the robin family will weather this storm! I kept thinking about a song we used to sing ..."what will the Robins do then, the poor things? They'll hide in the barn, and keep them-selves warm, and that's what the robins will do, the poor things" But I have no barn, no birdhouse, and they are out in the elements. I also have a nesting dove in my garden, but she is in a much more protected place. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Roger Lederer
Expertise
Any and all about WILD birds - the science of ornithology. Information about birdwatching, ecology, conservation, migration, behavior, banding, rehabilitation, feeding, songs, binoculars, identification, and careers in ornithology. No questions about pet or caged birds, please.
Experience
Have a PhD and over forty years as a professional ornithologist - research, teaching, author, speaker, webmaster of Ornithology.com . Have written thirty scientific papers, three bird field guides, a textbook in ecology and two recent books entitled "Amazing Birds" and "Birds of New England". Have traveled to over 90 countries watching birds.
Education/Credentials
PhD in Zoology/Ornithology; Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences; former Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at California State University, Chico
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