Bird Migration | Bird Facts | Animal Facts for Kids | Bird Facts For Kids | Why Do Birds Migrate?

Birds Chirping Hmm, I wonder why those birds are all flying away. Ah, now that is an interesting question. Professor Birdie, you scared me! Sorry Aaron, I just heard you talking to yourself and I can tell that you are thinking of migration. Migration? I've never heard of that. I was just thinking about birds and why they always fly away in big flocks. I have an idea. Would you like to go on an adventure? Then I can show you what migration really means. Yes, please Professor Birdie! Well, let's go flying! This looks like a field Professor. It is Aaron. This is a perfect area for us to view the migration of birds. Are we cloud gazing? No Aaron, look through my binoculars. Wow, look at all those geese. Are they flying south? They are. They are leaving their breeding grounds and heading to their non-breeding homes. When do they do that? Breeding times are usually in the summer months and towards the winter they move into their non-breeding grounds. It's an annual large-scale movement. I can watch these geese flying all day. Do any other birds migrate? Oh, of course Aaron. At least 4,000 species of birds are migratory. Wow, that's a huge number. It is, but migration is necessary for a lot of birds. Why? I thought they just might want a holiday or something. The birds migrate to move from areas of low or decreasing resources to areas of high or increasing resources. The two primary resources being sought are food and nesting locations. Well, everyone needs to rest and sleep. They do, Aaron. So, how does it work? Well, birds that nest in the Northern Hemisphere tend to migrate northward in the spring to take advantage of burgeoning insect populations, budding plants and an abundance of nesting locations. Look at them fly. There are so many. When do they land? Do they stay there? As winter approaches, the availability of insects and other food drops, so the birds move south again. I'm sure all the birds want to escape the cold. Surprisingly, not all birds need to move. Really? What birds? Many species don't need to move like a hummingbird as long as they have an adequate supply of food. They're able to withstand freezing temperatures. I can't believe a little bird like a hummingbird can't cope so well in the cold. They may be little, but they're sturdy. So, how do birds know when to migrate? That's a great question, Aaron. Ornithologists, or bird scientists, believe that there are multiple factors. Things like day length, lower temperatures, and changes in food supplies. A lot of factors, then. There are. For centuries, people who kept birds in cages noticed that migratory species go through a period of restlessness each spring and fall, repeatedly fluttering toward one side of their cage or flapping their wings in an attempt to take off. There are also species of birds that migrate at night, reversing the Carcadian rhythm and becoming very active at night. It indicates that, at least for some birds, migration may be part of their instincts. Aaron, different species of birds, and even segments of the population within the same species, may follow different migratory patterns. Hmm, different migratory patterns. I've always wondered how birds navigate migration. How do they know where to go? You're such a thoughtful boy, Aaron. It could be an aid. For example, first-year birds often make their first migration on their own. Somehow, they can find their winter home, despite never having seen it before, and return the following spring to where they were born. I'm not very good at directions, so I am super impressed. It certainly is impressive. Migrating birds can cover hundreds to tens of thousands of kilometres in their annual travels, often travelling the same course year after year with little deviation. Being able to tell the different directions must be quite difficult. As I said, ornithologists believe it's an aid. Birds' navigational skills aren't fully understood, partly because birds combine several different types of senses when they navigate. Dependent on the sensory system, like sight, smell and sound? Yes, exactly. Birds can get compass information from the sun, the stars, and by sensing the Earth's magnetic field. They also get information from landmarks seen during the day. There's even evidence that sense of smell plays a role, at least for homing pigeons. When I travel, I like to have a stop in between home and my destination. Do birds have a pit stop? Some species, particularly waterfowl and cranes, follow preferred pathways on their annual migrations. These pathways are often related to important stopover locations and provide food supplies critical to the birds' survival. Check out these ducks having a break. Some small birds must refuel in one to three days after migrating hundreds of kilometres. Estuarine wetlands rich in food resources are often used as fuel stops for these migratory birds. Smaller birds tend to migrate in broad fronts across the landscape. Recent studies using eBird data are revealing that many small birds take different routes in spring and fall. To take advantage of seasonal patterns in weather and food. Why are you shaking your fist at that plane, Professor? Planes are bad for birds as sometimes planes move in the direction the birds are flying in and hurt them. That's terrible! What's even scarier, Human activities have caused some 500 bird species worldwide to go extinct over the past five millennia. And 21st century extinction rates likely will accelerate to approximately 10 additional species per year. Unless societies take action to reverse this trend. Why has this happened? Habitat destruction, selective hunting, invasive alien species and global warming are all affecting natural populations of birds. Not only that, but of all other animals and plants as well. My binoculars will show you. There must be a way of trying to help birds. There are plenty of ways to help. Come on, I'll show you. What are those people doing? They are planting native species. Lots of birds are adept at eating their native plants. Equally, planting native species encourages biodiversity. Which in turn brings extra food sources for birds to eat. Look at this as well. What is that, Professor? It's a bird feeder, Aaron. Creating natural habitats for birds allows them to come for shelter, food and water. This increases the population of the species in the region. And provides an incentive for more birds to settle in order to breed with other birds in the region. It's as easy as that? It is. Doing other things to help the environment will also help the bird populations. Well, I'm going to look into getting a bird feeder for my garden. Thank you so much for helping me with my project. I think I am ready to go home and work on it. Quiz time! How many species of migratory birds are there? Correct! Migrating birds can cover hundreds to tens of thousands of kilometers in their annual travels. Fantastic! The answer is, of course, true! Well done! You have listened carefully. It is, of course, false. You've worked very hard today. Time to go home. Goodbye, everyone!