Birds and Rain (1 Viewer)

Hi Everybody,

I’m new to this site and this is my first post so hope I’m posting in the right place. I was just wondering a few things about birds and rain. I live in San Diego so we don’t get nearly as much rain as say Oregon. This makes me wonder how the birds “deal” with rain. I’ve been trying to keep the seed dry and have had to go out a few times to change it out because even though there’s a patio umbrella over the feeders the wind blows the rain and it still gets a little wet. I guess my main concern is of their welfare. Is there anything else I can be doing for them? Does anyone know if they mind the rain? My mind automatically wants to give them human traits so I’m thinking their suffering out there but that is probably not true. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

-Richard

Hi Richard, welcome to Birdforum. I've never been too concerned about my birdseed getting wet - one result is that it may start to germinate and grow in and around the feeders, but if it's getting eaten quickly it won't have time to do that.

Living in England, a country not notoriously dry, the seed does get wet. It only becomes a problem in continuous wet weather, a bit of wind (or even, more rarely, sun) and it soon dries. As long as the visitors are getting through it fairly quickly, it shouldn't be a problem, although cleaning the feeders regularly is a very good idea.

As for birds and rain, it depends on species. I'm going to wildly generalise here, small birds will tend to take shelter to avoid loss of body heat. Others, particularly those with better waterproofing, don't seem to give a damn. It's all water off a ducks back. (Sorry, I couldn't resist it)...

Feathers are made of basically the same stuff as hair. With enough rain, they can get soaked, which means they're less fluffy (so they won't keep the bird as warm), and the weight of the water itself can be significant. A passing shower or light mist is no big deal, but many birds, especially small ones, will seek shelter from a heavy rain (see stuart's link), and some birds that are in the water all the time (like ducks) coat their feathers with a waterproofing oil that's secreted from their skin.

As for seed, if sufficiently soaked it can cake together and be difficult for birds to extract from the feeder. That takes a heavy downpour and it's pretty obvious when it happens.

> I’m thinking [they're] suffering

I doubt it. Many birds and humans love a shower. Imagine you lived in San Diego but didn't have any air conditioning...

Welcome to BF, Richard. You'll find lots of bird enthusiasts here, many of whom probably would love to visit your beautiful corner of the world.

San Diego birds will probably be more attracted to a water feature than to a feeder. Even a simple shallow bird bath will be good, although you'll get hummers much more frequently with a mister or some similar running water set up. There are lots of cheap solar recirculating pump arrangements, so the water is not wasted.

Seeds are generally pretty durable, as already noted, although shelled sunflower seed and nijer are vulnerable to mold if stored wet, in a tube feeder for instance. Cleaning the feeders with soap regularly is good practice, birds do get infections and feeders can spread these if left untended.

Please enjoy your winged visitors and keep us posted.