Do Birds Get Struck by Lightning?

Lightning also strikes birds. An observer once saw a bolt of lightning strike a large flock of migrating snow geese, dropping more than 50 of the birds. Bald eagles have been struck while sitting on their nests, and John James Audubon described two common nighthawks blown from the sky by a lightning bolt.

Can a bird get struck by lightning while flying?

Lightning can not only hit birds while they are in flight but also when lightning strikes water bodies. In this case, geese have been the victims of many lightning electrocution cases in Montreal, Canada. 50 Canada geese were found dead and floating in a river outside Montreal on June 16th, 2018.

Are birds afraid of lightning?

There is some evidence that birds respond to drops in pressure and therefore seek shelter before a storm hits. They also tend to avoid high trees during lightning storms to avoid being whipped around from the tops of trees.