Blown off course and washed away, it’s been a wild ride for wildlife hit by hurricanes

Hurricanes Helene and Milton blew long-winged sooty terns and high-flying frigatebirds hundreds of miles away from their ocean comfort zones into Indiana, Kentucky and other inland states.

Helene interrupted the migration of more than 100 million birds crossing over Alabama, and triggered floods that swept thousands of North Carolina’s 30-inch-long hellbender salamanders to their deaths.

And it is very likely that some of Florida’s beloved manatees have been stranded or trapped by the hurricanes and their aftermath.

It has been a wild ride for the wildlife in hurricane country.

As swaths of the southern United States recover from the aftermath of two hurricanes that left millions without power and killed hundreds of people, ecologists and biologists are working to understand the impact the devastating storms have had on wildlife.

A few animals have capitalized on the destruction. North Carolina’s black bears have been nosing through the open doors of shattered structures in search of groceries now suddenly available. Far more animals have been displaced or killed.

Falyn Owens, a North Carolina extension biologist, said that “the biggest impact from Hurricane (Helene) that we know of so far has been species that have been basically swept out of their natural habitat either by the water, for aquatic species, or by the air itself, especially for migratory birds.”

Just how great a toll the hurricanes took on birds migrating south to spend the winter months in the Caribbean, Mexico and South America is not yet known. The first and possibly strongest indication may be feathers washing up on beaches along the Gulf Coast.

“In the area of the Gulf of Mexico, this is like the peak of intense movement,” for birds in migration, said Andrew Farnsworth, a visiting scientist and migration ecologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, N.Y.

Farnsworth estimates that 150 to 275 species were in the midst of migration during the hurricanes, including magnolia warblers, American redstarts, green herons, Baltimore orioles and Swainson’s thrushes.

In a pinch, many do the bird equivalent of pulling over at a Motel 6: They find a small hole in a tree or the convenient eaves of a three-bedroom Victorian and ride out the storm.

“A lot of birds do die,” Farnsworth said. “They get exhausted and fall or get pushed into the water. These small songbirds can occasionally land on the surface of the ocean, but when there’s a hurricane they do not do well.”

Farnsworth said that although there have been cases of birds flying through hurricanes, “I suspect it’s not a very good strategy.”

Desertas petrels, a type of seabird, appear to follow hurricanes and cyclones, possibly to take advantage of the foraging opportunities created by the churning of the ocean, but such behavior is rare among birds, according to experts.

As for the seabirds blown inland, some are able to find their way back to the ocean. Others that rely entirely on saltwater prey often die trying to return or become injured or weakened and get turned over to wildlife rehabilitation facilities.

Among aquatic species, few are likely to have borne a greater brunt than the eastern hellbender, the largest salamander in North America. The hellbenders, which live in the rivers and creeks of North Carolina and other East Coast states, were carried off in the floods. Many, unable to return, dried out and perished when the floodwaters receded, a blow to environmentalists.

“They’re considered an indicator species,” Owens said, “and when you see them (alive) that means the water is relatively healthy. And when you don’t see them that could mean the waterway is being impacted by pollution” or other harmful factors.

Owens said wildlife officials are concerned about one other aquatic species, the endangered magnificent ramshorn, a silver-dollar-size snail “believed to be found only in southeastern North Carolina,” according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

As for terrestrial wildlife, such as deer, foxes and raccoons, Owens said they fare much better in storms. They can swim to safety during floods.

In Florida, video of an alligator jumping out of Milton floodwaters and snapping at a car tire drew attention on social media and in several news outlets.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued a statement urging that people not attempt a wildlife rescue during or after a hurricane or tropical storm, if the rescue would place them in a potentially dangerous situation. “If you encounter wildlife, including stranded manatees, that appear injured, sick, or entangled,” the commission said in a message to the public, “call the FWC’s 24-hour Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC.”

The commission said heavy rains can force burrowing owls to leave their burrows until water levels recede, meaning that people “may find them seeking shelter in unusual places, such as in the eaves of a house or perched on man-made structures.”

“Please give these owls space, and they will return to their burrows on their own,” the commission stated, adding that whenever possible, people should avoid burrows when clearing debris or repairing damaged structures.