“Well there are worse things than sweating by river on a Sunday,” sings the ensemble in the musical "Sunday Afternoon in the Park with George."
But during the song “It’s Hot Up Here,” those people in heavy formal clothes baking in the sun were probably not thinking about the joys of riverside promenading.
The song was inspired by Georges Seurat’s iconic painting. The scene is full of life — people, three dogs, a monkey, even a butterfly — but curiously, no birds.
Why? Birds can’t sweat. And their feathers, while beautiful, act as insulation.
So what do birds do when the sun turns a park into a sauna? First, they seek shade. Then they fluff and ruffle their feathers, letting the breeze work its cooling magic. Some species even escape to cooler air by flying high above the heat.
On the hottest days, birds pant or vibrate their throat muscles — a trick called gular fluttering — which sheds extra heat without much effort. And when all else fails, there’s the simplest solution of all: water.
A dip in a pond, a splash in a birdbath or a soak in a river can turn a sweltering day into a refreshing break. So yes, “there are worse things than sweating by a river.” But for birds, there are better things. They just splash, flap, and chill until they’re… not hot.
