Do 'storm birds' have the ability to predict wet weather?

By Shelley Lloyd

Updated 26 Sep 2018, 10:06pm

While some people think it's an old wives' tale, many swear black and blue that the haunting cry of a "storm bird" indicates rain is on the way.

The storm bird — more properly known as the eastern koel — is a distinctive-looking large black bird with a red eye.

A member of the cuckoo family, every spring koels fly into Queensland and New South Wales from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia to breed.

Australian Birdlife magazine editor Sean Dooley was sceptical about whether their call was an indicator rain was on the way.

"It's easy to see why you'd think that they are calling the rain in, but they're just waiting as much as we are for it to arrive," he said.

"I don't really ascribe any magical rainmaking powers to koels, they're just really canny at working out the weather systems."

Mr Dooley said koels arrived in spring to breed over summer.

"Their arrival coincides, quite smartly from the bird's perspective, with the arrival of the monsoon or the summer rains, which bring a lot more growth and a lot more insect life," he said.

"So the koel's a pretty smart bird, they time their run from Indonesia and other places to arrive on the east coast just as the summer rains start to hit."

He said the haunting call was more about sex than pending rainfall.

"When the male arrives in Australia they will find a patch, usually in fruiting trees, establish a territory and start calling trying to attract any females that have just flown in," he said.

Read on  

Can birds predict weather?

2017-08-02 06:02

IN this day and age weather predictions are made digitally with many having their own special weather forecasting website or television channel to get the weather report for the next day or so.

But how were forecasts made in the good old days?

Some of the natural weather forecasters were:

• If the rooster crows on going to bed,
You may rise with a watery head. 

• If birds fly low, expect rain and a blow.

• Birds on a telephone wire predict the coming of rain. ?

• One crow flying alone is a sign of foul weather; but if crows fly in pairs, expect fine weather.

• When chickens pick up small stones and pebbles and are more noisy than usual, expect rain.

• Roosters are said to clap their wings in an unusual manner, and hens rub in the dust and seem very uneasy when rain is coming.

• When fowls collect together and pick or straighten their feathers, expect a change of weather.

• Hawks flying high means a clear sky. When they fly low, prepare for a blow.

• When seagulls fly inland, expect a storm.

• When fowls roost in daytime, expect rain.

• Birds singing in the rain indicates fair weather approaching.

• If crows fly in pairs, expect fine weather; a crow flying alone is a sign of foul weather.

• When domestic geese walk east and fly west, expect cold weather.

Source  

Bird migration forecasts early winter

There’s a saying, “Birds never lie.”

If so, the best weather forecaster in the West, the migratory sandhill crane, is predicting an early winter with plenty of rain and snow.

Over the years, the timing of the migration of sandhill cranes south to the San Joaquin Valley has predicted winter weather, both wet and dry. Early migrations have meant big winters. Late migrations, the opposite.

“I think 2012 sets a record for earliest arrival,” said Gary Ivey, the International Crane Foundation’s Western Conversation Manager.

This fall’s verified migration started  August 25 when 10 sandhill cranes were sighted in northern San Joaquin County by a birdwatching group guided by Esther Milnes-Schmierer, a docent for the Department of Fish and Game. In past years, the giant sandhill cranes have first arrived in mid-September.

Read more:  http://blog.sfgate.com/ski/2012/09/13/bird-migration-forecasts-early-winter/