Birds in the fog (1 Viewer)

[Logoes]

I am sure this question must have been asked before but can anyone tell me how birds navigate in the fog. I saw a mallard flying slowly yesterday morning through the fog and wondered if he knew where he was, would he have been following reflected light from the small stream, and if he was what did he do it he wanted to cross a field?

And another question to which I know I have heard the answer but have forgotten it :h?: How do birds compensate for the lack of oxygen when they are flying at great heights e.g. over the Himalayas ? Logoes

 

[KnockerNorton]

Remember that when we are in fog we are looking through the whole bulk of it laterally, so see it at it's densest, perhaps several km of fog in front of us. Birds can fly above the fog, so when looking down can see features because they are looking through less fog, perhaps only a few tens of metres. They can also see landmarks above the fog, such as hills etc sticking out the top. Also, birds are sensitive to magnetism so can detect that in the earth. Finally, they can also navigate by the sun and stars/moon, which are visible above the fog because it is clear.

Birds also have a very efficient respiration ssystem, which allows them to extract much more oxygen than we can at altitude. they have a network of air sacs attached to their lungs that effectively give them extra lungs.

 

[Chris-Bennett]

In my area there are big flocks of Canada geese, they fly around honking for all they are worth most of the year, they usually fly at about 60 feet from the ground and I did hear them overhead in the thick of the fog the other day although I could not see them, visibility was about 20 yards.

 

[davercox]

Pardon my ignorance but do we know for sure that birds can't see in the infrared ?

 

[a.dancy]

I am sure this question must have been asked before but can anyone tell me how birds navigate in the fog. I saw a mallard flying slowly yesterday morning through the fog and wondered if he knew where he was, would he have been following reflected light from the small stream, and if he was what did he do it he wanted to cross a field?

And another question to which I know I have heard the answer but have forgotten it :h?: How do birds compensate for the lack of oxygen when they are flying at great heights e.g. over the Himalayas ? Logoes

Bar-headed geese are unique. Flying over the Himalayers is made possible for a number of reasons. The body mass to body area is less than in other geese. The bird's flight dynamics are very efficient. The bird's lung has additional air sacks which can re-cycle oxygen so that the oxygen taken into the lung is not wasted. The bird's bio-chemistry is such that it can absorb oxygen into the blood stream very efficiently.
Hope this answers your question.

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[a.dancy]

In my area there are big flocks of Canada geese, they fly around honking for all they are worth most of the year, they usually fly at about 60 feet from the ground and I did hear them overhead in the thick of the fog the other day although I could not see them, visibility was about 20 yards.

It may be foggy at ground level...it does not mean it is foggy for the birds 'upstairs'. Having said that they must fly in reduced visibility since they do fly into things.

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