Birds Beat The Heat

One of the long distance migratory birds that visits the UAE is the ruff (Philomachus pugnax).

Its natural range extends from northern Europe and Russia – mostly in the Arctic tundra.

But it migrates in great numbers to southern and western Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa. We see ruffs around Dubai from July onwards, when we experience the hottest days of the year. One wonders how these – and other transiting birds – cope with the unbearable heat of the UAE summer.

Most birds try to bathe frequently. The ruff and other long-legged birds spend most part of the day standing or foraging in knee-deep water.

At midday, around the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, we can see flamingos, herons and black-winged stilts, birds with long legs, standing in deep water. Scientists believe that by standing in cooler water blood vessels in the bird’s long legs allow their blood to lose heat, so cooling the birds.

Birds living away from deep water loiter around irrigation ponds or soggy earth formed due to seepage or drainage.

I have found local sparrows, munias, mynahs, doves, large glossy ibis, lapwings, plovers, cattle egrets and the like spending the afternoons standing idle in seepage areas.