Hurricane Sandy Aftermath: What Happens to the Birds?

The devastating superstorm that hit the U.S. East Coast this week didn't just wreak havoc on human communities—the spawn of Hurricane Sandy also damaged habitat for coastal bird species.

We talked to Bryan Watts, director of the Center for Conservation Biology in Williamsburg, Virginia, to get a bird's-eye perspective on the disaster.

How do birds react to hurricanes?

When birds encounter a storm like this, they're basically in scramble mode just like we are.

Are you worried about birds dying?

We have mortality events with these hurricanes, [especially with] birds that are either migrating or in vulnerable situations. Although surprisingly we have tracked several whimbrels with satellite transmitters that have flown directly through these storms. Last fall, we tracked a whimbrel named Chinquapin right into Hurricane Irene that successfully [landed] in the Bahamas.

Continued:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/10/121030-hurricane-sandy-superstorm-birds-new-jersey-science-animals/