Imperial, California - Can birds warn of impending disaster?  According to a new report, a breeding flock of golden-winged warblers in eastern Tennessee made an extraordinary run for it a day before 84 tornados touched down, ravaging the site.

The Association of Mature American Citizens says that scientists were on the scene.  They were in the process of determining whether the birds could be fitted with tracking devices when the warblers took flight.  Apparently they sensed the impending disaster in time to escape.

AMAC cited the scientific journal, Current Biology: "The birds evacuated their breeding territories 24 hours before the arrival of the storm and atmospheric variation associated with it."

Henry Streby of the University of California, Berkeley was the lead scientist on the scene.  He said: "The warblers in our study flew at least 1,500 kilometers total to avoid a severe weather system. They then came right back home after the storm passed."