Why do birds and other wildlife species pull a disappearing act when bad weather looms? Could it be that Mother Nature has gifted them with the meteorological skills that took human beings centuries and the invention of various machines to uncover?  Or do they have special telepathic or psychic connections with each other and the earth that allow them to see the future? This may seem strange and far-fetched to many, but wildlife control experts in Ajax are familiar with these weather-predicting behaviours and believe that there is definitely more than meets the eye.

Wildlife Species – The First Meteorologists

People may have turned away from this practice in favour of more modern methods but historically, mankind has always relied on the behaviour of wildlife citizens to help them figure out what the weather will be like in the near future. This practice resulted in the creation of proverbs such as ‘hawks flying high means a clear sky. When they fly low, prepare for a blow’ or ‘When seagulls fly inland, expect a storm’.

Wildlife  Behaviour and the Weather

One Quebec farmer, Alex Mackay-Smith, is convinced that wildlife species can predict bad weather. He has watched, in recent times, the flood of animals to his farm and thinks that their behavior (which includes consuming his crops) means that a rough winter is ahead. These animals, according to Mackay-Smith, are preparing for a long cold winter season.

The idea is not as farfetched as many think though. If you pay attention to the experts in wildlife behaviour, you’ll discover that many wildlife species do in fact, prepare for bad weather.

Have you ever noticed that when natural disasters strike, the wildlife species are usually among the survivors? The 2004 tidal wave that killed more than 200,000 people in Asia spared most of the region’s wildlife. In fact, only those that were in confined spaces such as cages perished.

The wildlife control experts believe that animals have developed the ability to spot and interpret the tiniest signs that nature sends about weather changes. They use their existing senses to detect these changes even if they are occurring far away and this serves as early warning for them. One of those senses is the sense of hearing which allows them to hear soundwaves that are too low for human beings to detect (infrasonic sounds). They believe that this is what caused Asia’s wildlife population to escape the wrath of the devastating Tsunami.

But what about the birds? Well birds like seagulls possess a high level of sensitivity to barometric (wind pressure) changes. When these changes occur, the birds head inland for safety as they associate these changes with danger. Other birds may have similar abilities and this combined with their heightened sense of hearing (which might allow them to hear the sounds of thunder in the distance) helps to activate their survival (or flight) instincts.

Some species, such as the elephant, are thought to have superior ability to detect vibrations in the earth that elude others. As a result, they always know when an earthquake is coming. Unfortunately, sufficient scientific data to support this theory is lacking, but it is the most plausible theory so far.

Let Technology Do The Job

It is unlikely that your furry or winged friends and neighbours have powerful crystal balls that tell them what is going to happen in nature and it is also unlikely that they have a special ESP connection with Mother Earth. What they do have is a biological ability that human beings lack, the ability to sense that weather changes are afoot. Don’t ignore your wildlife neighbours when their behaviour change because they may just be onto something you can’t see, yet.