Why are there so many one-legged birds on SC beaches this winter? Here’s what DNR says
If you visited the shores of South Carolina recently, you may have spotted birds standing on one leg. You might have worried that the seagull, sandpiper or oystercatcher was injured.
Shorebird expert Felicia Sanders with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources said while birds can get tangled up in fishing lines and possibly lose their legs, if you see a one-legged bird on the beach, most likely it’s just hiding the other limb.
Sanders said this behavior is more common in the cooler months. Shorebirds stand on one leg to conserve heat and avoid exposing more of their bodies to the cool air and water, similar to what flamingos do.
South Carolina’s birds are skilled at navigating the world on one leg, Sanders said. “I often see them hop around on one leg, feed, and then even fly and then land again on the same leg.”
These fowl are familiar with the cold. Sanders said South Carolina’s shorebirds migrate to the Arctic to breed each summer. Species like sanderlings and whimbrels fly thousands of miles to the snowy tundra before returning to the Palmetto State where they live from August through May.
