This weather has caused families across the region to come up with new and exciting ways to stay cool. We naturalists at the Sanctuary have also had to keep a close watch on our birds, as well as ourselves, during our programs and displays. How do birds stay cool, you might ask? They use a variety of methods.
All of our birds have free access to water at all times--weather for drinking or bathing
One way is quite similar to humans—drink lots of water. All of our birds have water bowls in their indoor and outdoor enclosures that they can drink from, as well as bathe in. Birds of prey normally get the majority of the water they need from the blood in the meat they eat. Like humans, though, more water is needed in hot weather.
Chrys, our Long Crested Eagle, after a refreshing bath
Another familiar cooling method is to get in the pool! Many of our birds love to be in the bath. Water is very important for healthy feather condition at all times of year, but it becomes even more important in the hot summer months. Birds lose heat through bare, unfeathered skin, especially the cere, (skin around the beak), legs, and feet. When the wind blows on the bare wet skin, the bird’s temperature drops. This is called evaporative cooling, and it’s the same reason we feel cooler after we get out of a pool.
There is a group of birds that use evaporative cooling in a different (and ickier) way than others. These are the New World vultures, or the species of vultures living in North, Central, and South America. These guys have bare legs and feet, unlike their relatives living in Europe, Asia, and Africa who have feathered legs. New World vultures will go to the bathroom down their legs. What comes out is mostly liquid, so as the wind dries the waste, the vulture can cool off 10-12 degrees almost instantly. Personally, I’m glad we have swimming pools instead, but to each their own!
One thing we humans have working to our advantage is the ability to sweat. We may feel gross and sticky after being out in the heat, but we’d be in bad shape without sweating. Birds can’t sweat because of their feathers. Instead they have to pant, much like a dog would. This action is usually the first sign of a bird cooling off.
Lastly, many of our birds enjoy the bright sunshine and can be seen sunning on even the hottest days for a little while. Birds get vitamin D from the sun just like us, and it is also very important for healthy feathers.
Dewey, a Bateleur Eagle, demonstrating the amazing feather control that allows them to dissipate their body heat
Vultures and Eagles are most often seen sunning with their wings out to the sides like solar panels. Some will even fluff their chest and belly feathers to catch the sun, but also release heat from in between them. They can control movement of different groups of feathers, which is helpful for a variety of reasons.
Hawks often lay flat on the ground like a pancake, wings stretched as far as possible out to the sides. This can freak people out before they know what the bird is doing; it looks a lot like something is wrong with the bird. The winner of this contest, by far, is the Red-legged Seriema, a South American ground bird with long, orange legs. When they sun, they roll on their sides, wings askew, and legs in the air. Quite honestly, they look very dead and startle visitors all the time…especially when the “dead bird” pops up and looks curiously at them as they walk by! If your timing is good, you might observe our Seriemas, Sara and Gomez, doing this behavior on our Display Line past the Wildlife Hospital.
Here at the Sanctuary, we have both indoor and outdoor exhibits, so when you visit, you can look for some of these “cool” behaviors by our birds, then come inside to chill out yourselves. In the meantime, we’ll be here looking forward to Fall!
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