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AadamAtomic t1_isovnz5 wrote

>flying with the winds could be a common tactic for preserving energy during cyclones, It might seem counterintuitive, But from the perspective of bird behavior, it makes a lot of sense.

They spend most of the time out at sea, and with no land or shelter near by during a storm, it makes perfect sense for them to just ride the cyclone winds to center instead of fighting against the current because they can fly.

It's like getting sucked into a whirlpool. But the water is only 4 feet deep and you can stand in it.. it's much easier to stand in the center than on the outer edge of the whirling waters.

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Splenda t1_isprykn wrote

This plus the fact that the eye is surrounded by a giant thermal, so birds can dodge in and out of it for hours to stay aloft.

I've been told that among the oddities one sometimes sees in a hurricane eye are seabirds cruising around.

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I_Nice_Human t1_isq4zee wrote

They see in the UV spectrum which I am sure aides in the actual dodging of anything in their insane bird eye view.

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witofatwit t1_isql4ds wrote

The logic is sound, but it doesn't explain why of the "75 monitored shearwaters, [only] 13 flew to within 60 kilometers of the eye"

It it was truly a sound tactic to reserve energy one would expect greater than 25% of bird to do the same.

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PauDeArcane t1_issz2lg wrote

maybe it's fun? like in an extreme sport kind of way? so only the bravest/craziest birds are into it

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