Predicting weather?

[Inara]

This has happened enough times now, that I know it is not a fluke. Yesterday, Inara asked to go back to her cage earlier than usual and then just wanted to hang out there. The morning was partly cloudy but no appearance of imminent storms.

 

In the early afternoon, she had her little head inside of what I call her "megaphone" -- the plastic chamber area on the outside of her water/food dishes. She loves to chat with her head inside of there as it amplifies her voice. She was just making various sounds, then started saying, "Snow. Too cold out. Snowing." Having experienced this with her before, I asked, "Is it going to snow? It looks like it might rain." Just thinking that she was sensing the barometric change and that it might rain. She knows what snow/snowing means because when the first couple of snows of the winter hit, she and I talked about it at length as we watched it from the windows. Sure enough, about 1.5 hours later here came the snow! It kept up for the rest of the day and on into the night.

 

Inara has done this several times in the past. She will start talking about snow and snowing and cold, and within 2 hours we get hit. It's definitely not random, nor a coincidence. And, we haven't been talking "snow" in front of her at those times. She appears to be able to not just feel what's coming, but she's communicating it. It will be interesting to see if she will start generalizing that to "rain." She also makes a whooshing sound for "wind."

 

I have noticed in the past, that Inara will eat more and then want to just perch quietly in her cage on stormy days, which would be consistent with behavior out in the wild. My assumption is that she indeed feels the storm coming quite awhile before it arrives.

 

Do your birds' behaviors change before a storm, and how do they communicate that to you?

[Greywings]

Not sure will have to observe more closely, that sounds remarkable and believable.

[SRSeedBurners]

We get some wicked storms here in North Texas. I'll have to keep my eyes on Greycie to see if she behaves differently while the storms are still a few hours out.

[Luvparrots]

I truly believe our animals/pets can sense lots of things. So can people if they just open up to it. I talk to my parrots all the time. We understand each other, I believe.

[Ray P]

My weather bird is Cricket my Amazon.

Its not bad weather she has a reaction to, It`s the good weather.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Inaura... is amazing! Your own private weather station! I would LOVE that and trust her more than the weather guys. If she is stocking up, I would too and I mean that. I'm sure its not a fluke. Keep track of her predictions and write them down. Interested to here back on this. Nancy

[danmcq]

Creatures are much more in-tune with the world around them then us civilized humans living in our artificially secure world. Very impressive of Inara to be your local weather predictor.

[Muse]

This has happened enough times now, that I know it is not a fluke. Yesterday, Inara asked to go back to her cage earlier than usual and then just wanted to hang out there. The morning was partly cloudy but no appearance of imminent storms.

 

In the early afternoon, she had her little head inside of what I call her "megaphone" -- the plastic chamber area on the outside of her water/food dishes. She loves to chat with her head inside of there as it amplifies her voice. She was just making various sounds, then started saying, "Snow. Too cold out. Snowing." Having experienced this with her before, I asked, "Is it going to snow? It looks like it might rain." Just thinking that she was sensing the barometric change and that it might rain. She knows what snow/snowing means because when the first couple of snows of the winter hit, she and I talked about it at length as we watched it from the windows. Sure enough, about 1.5 hours later here came the snow! It kept up for the rest of the day and on into the night.

 

Inara has done this several times in the past. She will start talking about snow and snowing and cold, and within 2 hours we get hit. It's definitely not random, nor a coincidence. And, we haven't been talking "snow" in front of her at those times. She appears to be able to not just feel what's coming, but she's communicating it. It will be interesting to see if she will start generalizing that to "rain." She also makes a whooshing sound for "wind."

 

I have noticed in the past, that Inara will eat more and then want to just perch quietly in her cage on stormy days, which would be consistent with behavior out in the wild. My assumption is that she indeed feels the storm coming quite awhile before it arrives.

 

Do your birds' behaviors change before a storm, and how do they communicate that to you?

 

Definitely. On stormy or even really dark, heavy rainy days, the outside birds all huddle up somewhere and the feeders are deserted, and the inside birds just want to have birdie quiet time all day long. I can't even get them stirred up with videos. Maybe they don't like the damp in the air. Maybe they are performing some instinctive behavior as if they were out sitting in the downpour. But either way, it is a very noticeable change in their behaviors.

[Inara]

I'm definitely going to start keeping a record in my Inara journal and see how often she talks about a storm before it happens. This spring we'll talk about "rain" when it begins and then it will be interesting to see if next winter she carries over the difference between identifying "rain" and "snow." I did find a couple of online references to the connection between a middle ear receptor and bird behavior in conjunction with weather. Will do more research.

 

EDIT:

 

"Most birds have a special middle-ear receptor called the Vitali organ, which can sense small changes in barometric pressure. So if the activity at feeders suddenly becomes much more intense a storm may be approaching. Birds flying low or sitting on power lines also indicate that air pressure is falling." -- Pakistan Weather Portal

 

Found this article on bats and the Vitali organ which is also in the middle ear of birds

Edited April 18, 2014 by Inara

[Ray P]

I'm definitely going to start keeping a record in my Inara journal and see how often she talks about a storm before it happens. This spring we'll talk about "rain" when it begins and then it will be interesting to see if next winter she carries over the difference between identifying "rain" and "snow." I did find a couple of online references to the connection between a middle ear receptor and bird behavior in conjunction with weather. Will do more research.

 

EDIT:

 

"Most birds have a special middle-ear receptor called the Vitali organ, which can sense small changes in barometric pressure. So if the activity at feeders suddenly becomes much more intense a storm may be approaching. Birds flying low or sitting on power lines also indicate that air pressure is falling." -- Pakistan Weather Portal

 

Found this article on bats and the Vitali organ which is also in the middle ear of birds

 

Mother nature has many ways to help her wild creatures survive in this cruel world.

Weather plays a big part in survival in nature.

[Muse]

I'm definitely going to start keeping a record in my Inara journal and see how often she talks about a storm before it happens. This spring we'll talk about "rain" when it begins and then it will be interesting to see if next winter she carries over the difference between identifying "rain" and "snow." I did find a couple of online references to the connection between a middle ear receptor and bird behavior in conjunction with weather. Will do more research.

 

EDIT:

 

"Most birds have a special middle-ear receptor called the Vitali organ, which can sense small changes in barometric pressure. So if the activity at feeders suddenly becomes much more intense a storm may be approaching. Birds flying low or sitting on power lines also indicate that air pressure is falling." -- Pakistan Weather Portal

 

Found this article on bats and the Vitali organ which is also in the middle ear of birds

 

Very interesting. So that is scientific validation for the old saying "Birds flying low, there will come snow." Very cool!

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Sophie's middle ear must be missing something! She has no clue about the weather. We get so much snow here in Rochester, NY. If her beak is cold... I turn up the heat. Kids complain that I only care if Sophie's beak is cold, and I get accused of NOT caring if their noses are cold! LOL! ( they can put on a sweater, she cannot!) Nancy

[judygram]

She is definitely sensing the change in the weather and doing a very good job of communicating that to you, good job Inara.