Scientific and fantastic explanations why swallows fly low before rain. Why do swallows fly low before the rain? What bird sings before the rain?

With the onset of spring and summer, miniature swallows become a real decoration of nature, delighting people with their subtle and sonorous chirping. These birds surprise people not only with their miniature size. For example, there are many signs associated with swallows. They say that if they start flying above the ground, it will soon start to rain. Indeed, if you watch birds, before the rain they descend to the surface of the earth, but why this happens, we will understand below.

Reasons for the swallow’s “low flight” before the rain

The main reason for this unusual behavior is related to the feeding habits of the swallow. The basis of the bird's diet is insects. Rain affects changes in atmospheric pressure; accordingly, invisible droplets of water appear on insects, as a result of which they have to stay either on the soil or a short distance from it. For a swallow, this is a great opportunity to treat himself to his favorite delicacy with a minimum of effort. People don't always see insects, so they get the impression that swallows predict the weather by flying before the rain.

A common opinion among people on this matter is that many believe that in this way birds warn people about the onset of precipitation. In this case, a contradiction arises: if the bird feels the rain, then why does it not rush to take refuge in its nest? From a scientific point of view, this explanation of the swallow's behavior is erroneous.

Swallows are not only beautiful, but also smart birds. For this reason, they take advantage of nature's opportunities: the upcoming rain is a good way for them to fully satisfy their appetite, rather than spend a long time searching for food. After all, swallows have a very small stomach, so hunger sets in quite quickly.

How birds behave Birds react very quickly to an increase or decrease in pressure. Therefore, they are better than any barometer at predicting whether the weather will be rainy or sunny in the coming days.

...Early in the morning, the ringing song of a lark is heard in the field. This feathered alarm clock predicts a fine day without rain. You may forget your umbrella at home if you see a lark walking on the ground in search of food. But be careful, if the ringing bird sits with a sullen ruff - it will soon rain.

Before a clear, fine day, pigeons coo in a special way. And if the nightingale’s trill did not stop all night, the weather will soon clear up. On a warm night, pheasants tend to climb onto tree branches. Before bad weather, they occupy lower places on the bushes.

The finch is also sensitive and can predict what the weather will be like in a day. Already anticipating how he will bask in the hot sun, the finch sings cheerfully. But as soon as even one thundercloud appears in the sky, the finch begins to wail sadly. He seems to be complaining about future bad weather, afraid that he will freeze. Maybe that’s why they called the sad bird a finch.

You can make sure whether rain or sun awaits us if you listen more carefully to the song of the oriole. If you enjoy listening to her song, wait for a warm, fine day. If it screams loudly, be prepared for rain.

If the loud knock of a woodpecker is heard kilometers ahead, you know that it will rain soon. Why is a bird so furious in the face of bad weather? Everything is very simple - before the rain, insects try to hide under the bark, and this is where the ubiquitous woodpecker beak finds them.

The longer the swifts fly, the cloudier and warmer the weather will be. Sensitive weather forecasters are able to travel hundreds of kilometers to escape rain and bad weather.

Traveling swifts are quite understandable. After all, they try to hunt as high as possible. And before the rain, all the midges and mosquitoes try to fly lower to the ground. Indeed, due to increased humidity, their wings become wet and heavy. They pull insects down.

Have you seen kites or eagles calmly soaring in the cloudless sky? You can rejoice - the good weather will continue for a few more days. But have your umbrellas ready if birds of prey are calling in alarm. With their cry they report approaching bad weather.

But we can only notice these birds in the summer. And what birds can we encounter almost every day all year round? Of course, with sparrows! So try to take a closer look at their behavior.

In clear and sunny weather, these are real hooligans, lively and lively. But if these livelies have become quiet or ruffled, as a result, you need to wait for rain or frost. Even in the most inclement weather, sparrows rejoice in the future sun - they chirp in unison and jump from branch to branch.

In winter, sparrows become silent for a short time before the snow. But if, even in the most severe frost, the birds shouted together, a thaw is just around the corner. Small birds feel the severe frost - they try to find shelter in various cracks, in chimney pipes. It will be frosty if you see in winter that sparrows are dragging various garbage, for example, chicken fluff.

Did you hear the displeased caw of a crow? It will rain soon. Before bad weather, the crow wheezes. But on warm days her voice becomes sonorous and loud. And the bird itself is transformed - as if the old woman is getting younger. The enraged bird begins to jump and fly.

During the frosty winter season, crows do not fly alone, otherwise they will not survive. Before a snowstorm, they rush around like people possessed, croaking terribly. Before the lowest temperatures, birds try to hide their heads under their wings.

In winter, did the crows sit far apart from each other? The wind will die down soon. Are they huddling together? The wind will be stronger, and from the direction where the discerning birds are looking. Otherwise, if the crows turn their backs to the wind, it will inflate all the birds' feathers and freeze the unfortunate animals.

Jackdaws are also able to anticipate rainy weather. They start screaming before it rains. And if the jackdaws are quiet and trying to hide, hide too. There will be a thunderstorm soon.

But in winter, jackdaws, on the contrary, start calling just before the thaw. And they also try to chase each other. And severe frost forces birds to sit on the very tops of trees. But if the jackdaws or crows have moved to lower branches, a strong wind will soon arise.

A rook will also make a good meteorologist. If the rooks are happily chasing each other, the weather will be clear. They gather in flocks high in the sky and quickly descend - expect rain. And in general, the restless behavior of rooks, their rushing from nest to nest, is a sign of a change in the weather.

Mood: Good!!!

Birds foretell the weather

Birds have amazingly developed sensory organs. They are able to navigate well in space and are sensitive to certain external factors. Birds sense an approaching change in weather much earlier than humans. They are able to warn in advance of impending bad weather.

We list only a few folk signs of weather changes based on the behavior of birds.

If swallows fly high, the weather will be good for a long time.

If they fly low, expect rain.

If sparrows tumble in the dust, it will rain.

If migratory birds fly away early, the winter will be cold.

The loud cries of birds gathered in the trees are a sure sign of approaching rain.

If, during a thaw in winter, or in relatively cold weather in spring or autumn, birds bathe in water, this is a sure sign of warming.

The behavior of domestic animals also changes in anticipation of bad weather. So, if chickens bathe in dust, it will rain. The rooster crows after sunset when it rains. If a rooster crows often and at inopportune times, the weather will last for a long time. If ducks rush toward the pond with a hubbub and scream, or, while on the shore, look intently for something in the sky, this is a sure sign of impending rain. If ducks rush indoors, it will be a cold night.

It has long been noted that the flight altitude of swallows and swifts indicates upcoming weather changes. There is a widespread belief among people: if swallows fly low, it will rain. This is explained quite simply. In pre-rain weather, small insects that swallows hunt for fly low above the ground, causing swallows and swifts to reduce their flight altitude. When watching the flight of swallows, we must remember that the altitude of their flight is affected not only by the weather, but also by the time of day. By the end of the day, insects that lead a strictly diurnal lifestyle look for a place to sleep and reduce their flight altitude. To raise insects from their homes, swallows try to disturb them by flapping their wings. Therefore, even in clear weather in the evening, swallows fly, almost touching the ground.

Perhaps the most common bird on earth is the sparrow. The impression is that sparrows live everywhere: in the countryside and in cities, in forests and fields. The signs are true that sparrows bathing in dust and floundering in water indicate the onset of rainy weather. But there are other signs.

If you hear the chatter of a flock of sparrows, the chirping of sparrows in the trees, then this is a sure sign of prolonged good weather.

If the sparrows are quiet and huddling together, cool weather is approaching and rain is possible.

The common skylark is universally loved. He attracts attention not with his modest attire, but with his amazingly beautiful voice. The lark is the welcome harbinger of spring. When the clear voice of a lark suddenly comes from somewhere above, it becomes very pleasant and fun. This is the voice of nature awakening from a long winter hibernation. Rural residents have one persistent belief: if in cloudy weather a lark flies up and sings, then this is a sure sign that the sky will soon clear and the sun will sparkle again.

Hungarian researchers A. Voynich and E. Herceg provide very interesting information about the behavior of the finch in their book “One Swallow Doesn’t Make the Weather.” As the thunderstorm approaches, the finches become increasingly restless. As the sky gets darker and the muffled rumbles of thunder get closer and louder, the voices of the finches ring out louder and louder - ting-ting-ting. They either sit next to the nest, then fly up onto a branch, or begin to quickly flutter back and forth without any purpose, but all the time they stay close to the nest. When the first drops of rain fall, the finches fall silent and sit down in their nests, hiding their chicks under their wings. After the bad weather passes, they fly up to the nearest tree and start their wonderful sonorous songs, in which joy sounds with the same obviousness as shortly before that anxiety was evident in their every movement.

With the approach of a thunderstorm, other birds also become excited, being by their constitution very sensitive to the accumulating atmospheric electricity. However, exposure to electricity in few birds causes such a pronounced reaction as in finches; This has long been noticed by hunters, shepherds and in general everyone who has to spend a long time in the forest. When a thunderstorm is approaching, judging by the more or less alarmed behavior of this bird, they can tell in advance whether bad weather will pass by or break out over their heads, and they are rarely mistaken in their forecasts... In winter, the finch also senses a change in the weather, and if cold weather is about to set in or a blizzard is approaching, his voice sounds especially loud, but there is anxiety in his voice.

The common starling has a beautiful voice and the ability to imitate. According to many, he is a good weather forecaster. If at dawn starlings gather in a dense flock and make noise, then expect a thunderstorm. Gathering in flocks, starlings “lead round dances”, flying in wide circles over the area. Flocks of crows also make exactly the same circular flights. All this indicates the onset of bad weather.

You can learn about the upcoming weather by listening to the ringing blows of a woodpecker. The woodpecker seems to drum on the trunk, giving a sign of approaching bad weather. Many people claim that after the woodpecker's drumming, it always starts to rain. But it also happens differently. Rain clouds appear, but after a while they are carried away without dropping a drop of rain on the ground. The problem of prediction is how to distinguish the warning of approaching rain and not confuse it with rain clouds passing by.

Some birds have the amazing ability to determine and predict the weather of the seasons. A large number of folk signs come from comparing the dates of arrival and departure of birds. Using them, people judge the arrival of the seasons of the year and even predict upcoming weather.

Long-term observations made it possible to establish the optimal timing of arrival and departure of birds. Deviations from these dates in one direction or another are associated with certain meteorological information. From them it is possible to make more or less correct long-term forecasts, mainly of surface air temperatures. By these signs you can determine whether the winter will be long and harsh, rainy or dry, cool or hot.

In ornithologists' observations of bird migrations, the following patterns can be identified.

If high atmospheric pressure is established over the area for a long time and the sun's rays have time to warm the ground well, migratory birds arrive right on time or even a little earlier.

The short-term establishment of high pressure over a given area after the passage of a cyclone is not accompanied by the arrival of birds.

Cyclones and anticyclones play a leading role in weather formation and have a significant impact on the arrival and departure of birds. If flocks of migratory birds appear over the area, this means that cold weather has already set in in the North. The arrival of birds from the North indicates the imminent onset of cold weather. The arrival of barn swallows is associated with the onset of spring, and the departure around September with the onset of autumn. If the cold continues and the snow lasts longer than usual, swallows arrive in May. According to popular belief, their early return to their native land indicates an upcoming long and warm summer, and too early departure is a sign of a long and cold winter.

Rooks and larks are considered to be the harbingers of spring. They arrive when there is still snow on the fields. But thawed patches are appearing more and more often. Rooks and larks fly away late - in October. Migratory birds wait out the harsh winter days on the shores of Southern Europe and northern Africa.

“The swallow keeps flying over the house.

As if he was looking for something, remembering.

Everything hovers above the roof alone.

Dear guest from afar."

Every person has seen a swallow (or “Galitsa” in the old fashioned way). A swift, nimble beauty flying near the house or fluttering over the river. Galitsa is our pride, we admire this bird, but we don’t even know whether it is predatory or not. Where he lives, how he eats, where he disappears in winter.

For us, the swallow is the main indicator of rain. If it flies low above the ground, there will be a downpour, as the nimble beauty “promises”. Is this so? Who is this swallow?

Hello birdie

Swallows form a single family, the swallow family. Beauties, and there are about 120 species of them, inhabit all the world's countries, except the Arctic and Antarctic. These birds are children of the air; they fly beautifully. Galits live in the sky - they drink water on the fly, hunt, even breed and sleep (on the ground the birds feel clumsy and are practically not observed).

Swallows have a slender, streamlined body, narrow long wings and an original tail with a deep neckline. These birds are small (weight reaches 10-60 grams). They form pairs and maintain family relationships throughout the bird's life.

Galitsa are migratory birds. Twice a year they travel to their wintering grounds (Africa and tropical Asia) and back home. Migration of swallows is a complex and dangerous process. Often during migration, birds die in flocks due to winds and hurricanes.

In 1974, thousands of dead swallows were found in the foothills of the Swiss Alps - the birds did not reach their winter quarters due to sudden cold weather. When it gets cold, the feathered beauties huddle together and become lethargic and numb.

Galitsa are predators. They feed on insects, beetles and butterflies. But they prefer insects that do not have a sting (leafhoppers, flies, horseflies, midges, mosquitoes and grasshoppers).

Types of swallows

We have three common types of these amazing birds:

Urban (or funnel). The plumage of the funnel is blue-black with a metallic sheen. The breast, neck and rump are painted white. The tail looks like a blunt fork with shortened ends.

Funnels settle under the roofs of houses, under balconies and on eaves. These swallows prefer small cities; they cannot be seen in megalopolises. The funnel nests are closed on all sides, the only round entrance hole is located on the side. Bird eggs are pure white in color.

Village (or killer whale). Compared to the urban killer whale, it is larger in size. The color of the bird is dark blue with a metallic tint. The abdomen is light, and on the chest there is a dark stripe. The tail is long, deep-cut and white-spotted.

Killer whales settle in large colonies (up to 1000 pairs). They fly in huge flocks over the water surface, catching insects and scooping up water with their beaks. Birds nest under the roofs of rural wooden buildings. A killer whale builds a nest from pieces of wet earth. The nesting area has the shape of a hemispherical saucer.

Coastal (or coastal). And along the steep sandy banks and slopes of rivers the bank swallow settles. She has a very small ponytail with a small slit. The color is brown-gray, the belly and chest are white. The shorebird digs burrow nests for itself, similar to small caves.

Curious facts

Swallows are famous for their hard work and love for their chicks. If the chick from the last brood does not have time to get stronger before flying to the winter quarters, the parents stay with it until the baby gets stronger. Parents tirelessly feed their chicks, bringing food up to 500 times a day.

Small birds have an enviable appetite. During their bird life they eat 2 tons of insects!

Swallows live up to 30 years. Their life is flight (the harbingers of spring reach speeds of up to 120 km/h). And they can fly at an altitude of 4000 meters. Galicians are known all over the world. Swift birds are loved and respected everywhere.

• Estonia. Estonia especially reveres these birds. The swallow is the national symbol of the Baltic country and appears on the 100 kroon coin.
• Egypt. Galitsa are the sacred birds of ancient Egypt. They belonged to the goddess Isis (the ideal of femininity and motherhood).
• China. The arrival of swallows in the sky coincides with ritual fertility holidays. The Chinese believe that the house where the bird has settled will soon be blessed with a wedding.
• Russia. In the terrible spring of 1942, residents of besieged Leningrad carried with them images of swallows. The birds easily flew into the besieged city and foreshadowed good news and hope.

In our country, Galitsa is symbolic of a happy family life. This bird personifies tenderness and affection. It is believed that the bird builds nests only in the homes of good people. But those who destroyed the swallow’s nest brought disaster and fire to the house.

After all, according to popular opinion, the beautiful bird protects housing from lightning, thunder and fire. And it warns people about the rain, flying low over their heads and whistling invitingly.

Why does a swallow fly before the rain?

In the progressive age, people find out what the weather is like outside from the Internet or mobile weather applications. And before, birds and animals warned people about the vagaries of the weather. Our ancestors were very observant! The sign about the low flight of swallows before rainstorms has survived to this day and turned out to be accurate. Why do swallows fly low before the rain?

Logic speaks, physics confirms

Initially, pundits believed that swift birds were responding to changes in the atmosphere. But why do the winged ones fly above the ground before a downpour, and not hide in shelters before bad weather? Are they really warning people? Human logic is selfish. A person, examining superficial (visible to the eye) phenomena, immediately draws conclusions. Without making it difficult for yourself to get to the bottom of all the elements.

Seeing the effect, people generalize reasons that we are not able to verify or prove.

Scientifically speaking, this is an example of inductive reasoning, subject to the laws of logic, a type of incomplete induction (that is, induction or a method of reasoning based on the simplest observation):

• "All plants have roots." We, without considering or proving the truth (do all bushes or trees have roots, yes or no), generalize the proposed statement.
• "All gases expand when heated." Even at school we are given examples of incomplete induction. Citing experiments on 1-2 gases as evidence, teachers draw general conclusions, speaking about “all gases.”

The ability to formulate judgments for which a person is not able to obtain evidence comes from ancient times. These are the same folk signs, bright representatives of incomplete induction (inferences made on the basis of observations without a complete evidence base).

Folk signs about swallows

There are countless tales that people told the swift black and white bird. Can you believe that before the arrival of severe cold weather, a nimble bird plucks out its feathers and hides “nakedly” under the bark of trees or dives under the water to sleep there? And in the spring sunshine, appear before people in bright, renewed plumage.

This is what the ancestors thought when they lost sight of the swallow in the fall (at that time they did not know that Galits fly away for the winter). There are many signs and curious conclusions about the swift birds from observers of the habits of swallows (as the Slavs affectionately called Galicians):

• If a bird built a nest under the roof of a house and then suddenly left the house, expect trouble (fire or collapse). The owners also had to leave the house temporarily.
• Hearing the chirping of swallows, the ancestors immediately washed themselves with milk. After all, the swallow’s chirping warned that a person had many envious people and it was time to defend himself. Washing with milk saved enemies from envy.
• But if a swallow in flight touches or flies low over a person’s head or shoulder, it speaks of his imminent death, carrying black news on his wings.
• A knock on this bird's window promised good news and restoration of contact with a lost relative.
• Having seen the first spring swallows, it was supposed to throw them a handful of earth to build a nesting site. Then wealth and prosperity will come to the house.
• Galitsa winds next to the home of a young unmarried girl? There will be a magnificent wedding soon! And if a swallow flies over the newlyweds, their marriage is strong and happy.
• Are swallows already flying around in the sky in early spring? Be a year rich in harvests.
• Well, the famous sign about birds flying low before the rain.

Revealing the secret

Let's leave the swallows alone for now and talk about their favorite food - insects.

Insects and bad weather. Before rain, there is an increase in atmospheric pressure. Air humidity increases. People who do not suffer from weather dependence do not notice this. But the insects react. Atmospheric force “presses” flying insects to the ground.

Due to the increase in pressure, the air is “saturated” with tiny droplets of moisture, which settle on the wings of the insects, increasing the mass of insects. Swallow food before the rain cannot fly at its usual altitude. Their flight becomes slow and low, to the delight of the swallows!

Affordable food. Birds, rushing after their prey, lower themselves above the ground and quickly rush overhead, trying to get more food for themselves and their chicks. And it seems to a person that the bird, flying low and flashing before his eyes, is trying to tell him about the impending rain. Small wet bugs are not visible to people. Here is the explanation for the mysterious behavior of birds!

Although this sign comes from the people, it is easily explained and proven from the point of view of classical physics (gravity affects the body weight of an insect, forcing it to sink to the ground). Swallows don't predict rain - they hunt!

Interesting observations!

Design and research work

CLASS

Abstract

Subject:Can birds predict the weather?

Target: introduction to weather forecasting birds. with their amazing abilities to predict the weather, with folk signs

Tasks: to master knowledge that goes beyond the curriculum, to get a taste for search and research activities; to learn methods and techniques of scientific research; to learn to work with literature; to become a propagandist in a field of knowledge that is significant to oneself.

Relevance:
How to determine what the weather will be today or tomorrow?
Is it true that living organisms can accurately determine future weather changes, just like human-made instruments? What to give preference to - scientific research, science - meteorology, long-term observations of people on the behavior of birds, folk signs? Can you trust the predictions of birds?

Hypothesis: I assumed that birds have a kind of barometric system, the “weather station” of each species of birds consists of sensory organs and other highly sensitive mechanisms, thanks to which birds are able to subtly capture, compare, analyze processes occurring in the atmosphere and build certain weather forecasts.

Research methods: studying literature, working with Internet resources, practical work, analysis of work done

Comparative analysis of various sources: scientific and fiction literature, newspapers, websites, magazines

Practical value: the material can be used in lessons when studying topics related to weather, wildlife; making quizzes, crosswords; when preparing extracurricular activities

Table of contents

Introduction

1What is weather?

2How do meteorologists predict the weather?

3 Birds are true weather barometers

4 Folk signs

5Conclusion

6Job prospects

Bibliography:

1 Birds over the fields E N Golovanova Gidrometeoizdat 2001

2 Science, science and more science In Dubovka Children's literature 2005

3 Textbook “Knowledge of the world”» Almaty 2010

4 "In the wilds of the Ussuri region" V. K. Arsenyev

5 Kostanay Agro newspaper 2012

6 "Nature Calendar" L. P. Sabaneev

7 Birds Encyclopedia "Around the World" 2008

8Kovshar A.F. Songbirds.– Alma-Ata: “Kainar”, 1983. – 280 p.

9 Kovshar A.F. World of Birds of Kazakhstan. – Alma-Ata: “Mektep”, 1988. – 272 p.

Internet resources

1 (world encyclopedia)

2 (online encyclopedia)

3 (Yandex pictures)

Introduction

We always listen to weather forecasts with a grain of salt: too often weather forecasters are wrong. Sometimes it’s raining outside the window, and the weather service cheerfully reports: “No precipitation is expected”... But “our smaller brothers”, who cannot rely on meteorologists, although they depend on natural disasters much more than we do, feel in advance what kind of weather is expected. By observing the behavior of animals, birds, insects, you can get no less information than from weather reports Folk signs appeared thanks to the observation skills of our ancestors. Predictweathera few hours ahead now can be done by anyone familiar with the basicsigns. If you look closely, you will notice that even indoor birds living in cages at home change their behavior before inclement weather. They become anxious and restless. Those who have such captives at home can observe and compile a list of true signs.Knowing about the behavior of birds before bad weather, you don’t have to worry that will take you by surprise, because your feathered friends will warn you of impending bad weather.

In a lesson on learning about the world, I learned about the ability of birds to predict the weather. This interested me and I decided to expand my knowledge by studying this issue in detail.

What is weather?

To begin with, I tried to determine what the weather is. Despite the fact that I constantly use this word, such a question caused difficulty.

In the children's encyclopedia “What? Where? When?” I read that “Weather is the state of the atmosphere in a particular region of the Earth. It can be cold or hot, dry or rainy, windy or calm. Any combination of varying amounts of moisture, heat, and movement in the atmosphere is weather. And it is in a constant process of change from hour to hour, day to day, month to month, year to year.” In the textbook “Knowledge of the World” for grade 3, I read that “Weather is a combination of air temperature, cloudiness, precipitation, wind in a given area at a certain time.”

Then I decided to find out how meteorologists predict the weather. I found the answer to this question on the Internet.

How do meteorologists predict the weather?

Instruments help people predict the weatherThere are many weather recording stations in Kazakhstan, and there are approximately the same number throughout the rest of Europe. In addition, “weather ships” located in space, as well as special aircraft on duty, monitor weather changes Meteorologists at weather stations monitor weather changes

Meteorological equipment

1 Automatic weather station

2 Meteorological temperature profiler

3 Thunderstorm and lightning detection systems

4Temperature and humidity measuring instruments

Making a weather forecast

Weather forecasts are made based on these reports and other meteorological data. The maps that weather experts study can tell them a variety of information: areas of equal pressure, areas of equal temperature, wind direction, cloudy or clear skies, rain or snow, amount of rain falling, areas of high or low pressure. Meteorologists, by studying a map, can predict what can be expected under given atmospheric conditions: thunderstorms, snowfall, strong winds, rain

Here is a satellite image of the cloud cover. This is a map showing atmospheric pressure and fronts.

I learned that instruments help people predict the weather.

Now I have a new question: How do crows, swallows and other birds make their predictions about the upcoming weather change? What “devices” do they have for this?

Observations of bird behavior

I conducted my observations of bird behavior. This is what I was able to see.

spotted woodpecker

The Great Spotted Woodpecker heralds a change in weather with its drumbeats beating on the branches. If a woodpecker knocks on a branch with its beak on a nice summer day, it means it’s going to rain. And there is an explanation for this: when the weather is dry, various bugs and larvae do not hide under the bark and it is more difficult for the woodpecker to obtain food. And when bad weather approaches, various bugs and other insects, anticipating bad weather, climb into shelters under the bark, and the woodpecker finds them more easily there. So he announces the upcoming change of weather with his knocking sound.
In winter, the great spotted woodpecker greets the upcoming warming with frequent blows of its beak on a dry branch. But such warming is not always long-lasting or persistent. Often the thaw stops, and frosty days and weeks begin again

with snowfalls. So the woodpecker is not always an accurate forecaster.

Swallows

Watching swallows and their habits, I noted that swallows fly low above the ground - towards rain and wind. There is a popular saying: “Swallows fly above the ground - don’t wait for dry weather.” And indeed it is. This is due to the behavior of the insects that swallows feed on. Numerous insects, sensing bad weather, hide in the grass, and if they fly, they fly very low. This is explained by the fact that before the rain the air becomes more humid, the delicate and thin wings of insects swell, become heavier and pull down. So the swallows catch them just above the ground or pick them up right from the blades of grass.

In clear weather, swallows hunt at any height - there are insects everywhere, lifted upward by currents of warm air. It turns out that the weather is rather determined by insects, and the swallows themselves seem to note the fact, indicating with their flight where the insects are. After all, a person cannot see insects from afar, either high in the sky or in the grass, but he can clearly see swallows

Sparrows in summer and autumn

I observed the behavior of lively, ubiquitous sparrows. In good weather, they are cheerful, active, and sometimes pugnacious. But then I noticed that the sparrows had become somewhat lethargic, had become quiet, and were sitting with a ruffled look. This is before the rain. And if the sparrows perked up and chirped during prolonged bad weather, then we can expect the onset of clear weather. On autumn days, I have more than once observed how, in the evening, sparrows gather in large numbers in the dense foliage of the trees and noisily rally in dozens of voices. And every time the next day there was good, sunny weather.

Sparrows in winter One day in mid-February there was frost down to minus 14°, loose fluffy snow was falling, and there was a slight wind. Sparrows and tits fed together in our yard from a feeder. After lunch, the sparrows sat on the fence, mostly with their tails towards the feeder, singing and chirping. This serenade did not last long, just a few minutes. The next day the frost dropped to three degrees, and in the sun the temperature was at zero. I also noticed that sparrows were hiding in shelters, under eaves, or climbing into piles of brushwood - in the cold or before a snowstorm. In two or three days they feel the approach of frost. They collect fluff and feathers near chicken coops and drag them into their shelters under the roofs. They are the ones who insulate their winter shelters before the frost intensifies.

Crows at different times of the year

Before the rain, the hooded crow sits on a branch or somewhere on a fence, ruffles its feathers, hunches over, sits and croaks. At this time, the crow’s voice is dull, almost hoarse. Before clear weather, the crow's voice becomes ringing, clear, and pure. And she herself is agile, agile
If crows fly high in flocks in the summer and rise under the clouds, it means bad weather. In summer, a crow bathes - it means rain. And if crows bathe in early spring, it means warmth.
When crows gather in a whole flock in winter, flying, circling and cawing, expect snow or frost. A crow hides its “nose” under its wing - to the cold. Croaks in winter - a blizzard.
If the crows land in one way or another: some with their heads in one direction, some in the other, it will be a windless day. And if everyone sits with their heads in one direction, and even strives to sit on a thicker branch and closer to the tree trunk, you have to wait for the wind. And it will blow from the direction in which the crows turned their heads. In general, birds usually land and fly against the wind. If the wind blows after them, from behind, they freeze because the cold air penetrates under the feathers.

Tits in winter

I looked closely at the titmice. I noticed that before frostier days and snowstorms, the titmice feed in the feeder longer in the evening, almost until dark, as if eating in reserve. And the next day there is a blizzard, a blizzard, tits sit in shelters and do not fly out to feed. They are trying to get under the roof.

From my observations I concluded:

Birds have very well developed sense organs, so they can not only perfectly navigate in space, but also detect the slightest changes in atmospheric pressure, humidity and air temperature, feel the weakening of solar radiation and the decrease in illumination when the first clouds appear before the rain.

Birds are sensitive to changes in the electric field before thunderstorms and rain. Everything that birds feel can be noticed by a person by carefully observing them.

Folk signs

Our ancestors had neither the Internet nor a television with a weather forecast, so they had to observe nature and its inhabitants, in which they were very successful. Modern climatology, having a good technical and research base, also does not ignore the “predictions” of birds, and finds scientific confirmation of folk signs.

The feathered inhabitants of the globe are capable of not only delighting us with their beauty and wonderful singing. They know how to predict the weather, so much so that some weather forecasters should learn from them. It is not for nothing that many folk signs and proverbs have developed about the weather related to the behavior of birds. Mom and Dad told me that many years of observing the behavior of birds made it possible to establish signs that in some cases are very likely to predict changes in the weather.

Kites predict the weather

In good weather, kites soar in the rising air currents. Before bad weather, kites restlessly circle in the air, calling out their “pi-i-i-it” protractedly.

Swifts - weather barometers

Swifts flying high above buildings until late twilight are a sign of continued warm, good weather.
And I was able to see these folk signs for predicting the weather with my parents, observing the behavior of birds in the fall

Early bird migrations are a folk sign of winter


When geese and ducks prepare to fly south earlier than usual, winter is just around the corner. The same applies to other species of migratory birds.

If the birds are still at home at the end of November, it means they are in no hurry, knowing that the cold

winter is not coming soon.

And my grandmother introduced me to these folk signs

Pigeons sit in a dovecote and often flap their wings - there will be a strong wind.
Pigeons are slowly returning home - in wet weather.

If cranes fly low in the fall, then the winter will be warm, if high, the winter will be cold.

If the cranes fly low and quickly, silently, bad weather will soon come. And if the cranes fly high, slowly and coo - talk to each other, the weather will be good

Scientists believe that more than 600 bird species have synoptic abilities.

On TV I watched the program “My Joy”. I learned that in the old days there was a custom: before the ice began to break up, girls secretly made their way to the river and “cryed out” their bitter life on the shore. There was a belief: if during crying the ice that bound the river cracks, then all troubles and misfortunes will go away with it, and clean water will bring happiness. Some “cryed” by the river for several days... But the secret was simple. People have long noticed that a wagtail flies in just before the ice drifts. There is even a proverb: “The wagtail has thin legs, but it breaks the ice.” So it turns out: in order to get rid of troubles, it is enough to simply be observant.

In the Kostanay Agro newspaper I read about one interesting sign

“In the folk calendar, March 31st - Kirill - take the runner. On this day, the weather is predicted by the behavior of the birds. The name of the day - Kirill-deri snake - means that the roads are deteriorating and driving becomes difficult. In the old days they said: “March ends winter and begins spring.” In Rus', the date of celebration of the beginning of spring was determined by folk signs - when the paths turned black and the snow was disturbed. The following proverb also circulated among the people: “Evdokia deceived Kirill - she invited her to visit, but she warmed her bones.” There is still frost on St. Cyril. On this day, the peasants predicted the weather based on the behavior of the birds: “The starlings have disappeared - wait for bad weather,” “The wagtail has arrived - the rivers will soon open.” It is believed that wild geese bring real spring on their wings: “Geese fly high - expect snow, and in spring there will be a lot of water, low - little.” And if a crow builds a nest on a tree high up, then in the spring there may be a flood.”

In Cuba, a parrot became widely known for accurately predicting the weather. Before a hurricane, a parrot whistled a funeral march, before a thunderstorm - sambas, before rain - Strauss melodies.

In the library I took the book “In the wilds of the Ussuri region” V.K. Arsenyev talks about such a case. In the morning he woke up later than the others and the first thing he saw was that there was no sun: the whole sky was in clouds. But his guide, the famous tracker Dersu Uzala, said: “There is no need to rush. Walk well during the day, it will rain in the evening.” And then Arsenyev writes: “Indeed, I remembered that before the rain it is always quiet and gloomy, but now - on the contrary: the forest lived full life; woodpeckers, jays and nutcrackers were calling to each other everywhere, and fussy nuthatches were whistling merrily.” Another time it was the other way around. The weather was good and calm for a long time. But one day, when Arsenyev admired her, Dersu Uzala objected to him: “Look, captain, how the birds are in a hurry to eat. Understand him well, it will be bad.” The barometer stood high. Arsenyev began to laugh at the gold, but he only said: “Bird understand now, mine understand later.” In the evening, Dersu said to Arsenyev: “Wait, captain. My guess is that we should spend the night here.” “Why?” - asked Arsenyev. “In the morning,” answered Dersu, “the birds were in a hurry to eat, but now look for yourself, not a single one is there.” And indeed there was dead silence in the forest. As if on cue, all the feathered inhabitants of the forest hid somewhere. Dersu advised to set up the tents more firmly and prepare as much firewood as possible, not only for the night, but also for tomorrow.”

I thought: “Do my classmates know about this unique ability of birds to predict the weather?” Conducted a survey and collected information about the guys’ attitude to this issue

Survey data

1 Did you know that birds can predict the weather?

2 Do you agree with this?

3 Are you familiar with folk signs associated with bird predictions?

4 Can you explain the ability of birds to predict the weather?

So, I became acquainted with the predictive abilities of individual bird representatives. She gave examples illustrating the ability of birds to subtly capture changes in atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity, weakening solar radiation, changes in the strength and direction of the wind, the electric field in the atmosphere, reproduced a number of forgotten and currently existing folk signs associated with the behavior of birds, predicting rain and fair weather. weather, cold and heat, wind and storm.

How do finches or gulls and other birds make their predictions about the upcoming change in weather? What “instruments” do they have for this? Neither ornithologists nor bionicists can yet give comprehensive answers to these questions, because the synoptic abilities of birds and their meteorological biosystems began to be purposefully studied quite recently.

Currently, there are two hypotheses on this matter.

According to one hypothesis, birds have a unique barometric system consisting of hollow tubular bones of the skeleton, (insert slide) whose air space is connected to nine thin-walled air sacs located throughout the bird's body. It is assumed that changes in atmospheric pressure affect the pneumatic bones of birds and they react to this in advance by changing their behavior. It is quite possible that a change in barometric pressure causes a kind of irritation of special baroreceptors located in the pneumatic bones and in a number of internal organs associated with air sacs.

Another hypothesis explains the ability of birds to predict the weather by the design of their contour feathers. (slide)

1 - Fan. 2 - Barrel. 3 - Normal surface. 4 - Down part. 5 - Ochin (rod).

Contour feathers are those feathers that dress the bird's body, give it a streamlined shape, and determine the entire appearance of the bird. The contour pen is a true miracle of nature's engineering art. It is simultaneously characterized by extreme lightness and strength. Each contour feather consists of a rod bordered on the sides with a fan. The rod is divided into a stem and a stem, or trunk. The feather represents the initial part of the feather shaft, free from the fan and hollow inside. The horns sit deep in the feather bag of the thickness of the skin. Near the base of the ridge, the tissues of the bird’s body are densely permeated with sensitive nerve endings. And the hollow frame itself resembles a kind of aneroid barometer. When atmospheric pressure changes, the pressure inside the skin also changes; it is captured by the nerve endings of the birds' skin papillae. This whole device, scientists believe, allows birds to predict the weather.

Which of the stated hypotheses is correct, whether they both correctly explain the structure and operating principle of bird meteorological mechanisms - today it is difficult to say.

I think that the matter here is much more complicated than it seems at first glance. It is most likely that birds use a multiple method of weather forecasting, and that the “weather station” of each bird species is a multi-link system, a complex set of “instruments”. It consists of the sense organs known to us and other highly sensitive mechanisms that have not yet been identified by scientists, thanks to which birds are able to subtly capture, compare, analyze processes occurring in the atmosphere and build certain weather forecasts. These predictions ultimately influence the behavior and actions of the bird.

All existing assumptions must, of course, be carefully studied and tested. Perhaps in the future I will do this. But the fact remains: birds can predict weather changes, and people should learn from them, adopt their methods and means of forecasting.

Conclusion: It’s not for nothing that they say that nature is a closed book and you just need to be able to read it, and for this you need to learn to observe patiently

Job prospects

1 In the future I plan to:

Ø Observe other representatives of the animal world, identify their ability to predict the weather, sketch and photograph them. The resulting drawings and photographs can be used in fine arts lessons, knowledge of the world, and extracurricular activities.

Ø Check folk signs associated with weather predictions by animals. Use the results obtained for gardening and lessons in learning about the world.

Ø I will try to establish the reasons that help representatives of the animal world predict the weather.