Wildlife Photograph

The Movements of Migration

Thursday November 17, 2005
You've heard that birds fly south for the winter, but there's much more to it than that. Read here to learn what migration really means.

    Migration means different things to different people.  For sociologists, migration is the movement of persons from one country or locality to another, or a group of people migrating together (especially in some given time period).  To biologists and ecologists, migration is the periodic passage of groups of animals (especially birds or fishes) from one region to another for feeding or breeding purposes.  Being a biologist, I focus here on animal migration, specifically birds.                                                                                                                
    Fall migration allows birds to move to a different location so that they can continue to find food. In the spring, they return to the places where they will breed and raise their young. It may be the slant of the sun's rays, hormonal changes, the change of the weather or other factors that contribute to the birds' urge to migrate to their other home.                                                                                                    Many people think of migration as a long journey. However, some birds move just a few miles.  For example, some birds migrate up or down a mountain range or from a southern state to a more northern one and back again during the changes in the season.  The Arctic Tern makes the longest journey, migrating from the North Pole in the fall down to the South Pole and then back again in the spring.                                                                                                                                                         Thousands of birds pass in the skies near us during migration. Many people are unaware of this because many birds travel at night. Birds may elude their predators by this night travel. Those birds that do not fly non-stop will usually land in the very early morning hours, find a safe place to rest and find food during the daylight hours. Night migrators include vireos, sparrows, cuckoos, warblers, thrushes and flycatchers. Those who prefer a daytime trip include hawks, eagles, storks, swifts, swallows, shrikes and some finches.
    One of the things you can do to help migratory birds is to be sure to keep your feeders full for hungry and weary traveling birds. Plant bushes and trees for cover and food, as well as flowers for seed to eat. With the development of land and destruction of birds' natural habitat, there are fewer and fewer places for these migratory birds on their way north and south.

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