Avian Warning System

We're having quite the wind and rain storm tonight. We really need the rain and, as I've mentioned before, I love the sound of rushing wind.

I got to wondering how birds feel about this kind of weather. For a creature that makes its home in the trees, 40 mph wind gusts have to be a concern. I would think that at some point there has to be a decision to head for the shelter of low growing brush rather than remaining high in a tree.

How would that decision to head for low shelter be made? A winged creature would not want to wait until the winds had exceed 25 mph before deciding to head to ground. Opening wings in that kind of wind would almost certainly result in broken bones or being carried miles away.

There must be some type of Avian Warning System (AWS). It's said that lots of creatures can hear sounds that humans can not, so it is conceivable an AWS could exist on a frequency unheard by people. It would explain why we don't see birds being cartwheeled through the sky during storms.

I'm thinking that if we humans could tap into the AWS, we could save a lot of lives. We would know - for sure - of the approach of life threatening storms and evacuate the affected areas. If there are any scientific minded folks out there reading this... the idea might be worth an explore.