“Radar actually picks up on lots of things in the atmosphere, like bugs, sharp temperature changes, and even birds,” KARE Meteorologist Ben Dery said. Credit: SYI uncensored photo - stock.adobe.com During hurricane season, many people track the path of each storm using the National Weather Service’s Doppler radar or other weather radar systems. After Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida’s northwestern coast on Sept. 26, an X post with over 1 million views claimed a flock of birds could be seen on radar near Tallahassee, Florida. But some people who commented on the post questioned if birds can actually be detected by radar. THE QUESTION Can birds appear on weather radar? THE SOURCES National Weather ServiceFOX WeatherThe Weather ChannelThe Cornell Lab of OrnithologyNational Audubon SocietyAudubon FloridaMeteorologist Rob CarlmarkMeteorologist Ben DeryAndrew Farnsworth, Ph.D., a bird migration expert at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology THE ANSWER Yes, birds can a...
