Why are so many birds taking such a confident journey? Most of them are for Pursuing longer days, abundant food, and mild weather. The most surprising thing is their way of traveling: with the magnetic compass in the body, as well as external indicators such as stars, mountains and rivers, they can find their directions, and often It is in the dim night. They even experience behavioral and physiological changes, including changes in diet and metabolism.
Although tethering and tracking studies can find basic migration routes that can be drawn on a map, most migratory birds When flying, it presents a wide banner instead of a narrow and long one: At the same time, the flight line may circle, roam, turn or jump, or it may change under environmental pressure. Take global warming as an example, global change The effect of warming on environmental conditions in local areas has affected the time and place of migration of certain birds. However, the general migration pattern has long been entrenched, and it is not a
global bird migration area that can be changed overnight : according to migratory waterbird populations the annual migration of the way, the world is divided into three bird flyway:
North and South America flyway
Africa - European flyway
Asia - Pacific flyway
1: Western hemisphere from North America to South America
Billions of birds fly across the sky during the annual migration, chasing the endless summer. And this continent of America seems to be specially prepared for migratory birds: the spring in the north is beautiful and rich, and in the autumn it is on the route to the south. , Along the way, you can clearly see the coastline with plenty of food. Rivers and north-south mountains. The updraft of these mountains allows birds to take a ride With their wings composed of fine feathers and hollow bones, they can take a 40,000-kilometer journey on a temporary route. This is undoubtedly one of the most moving performances in nature. To and
from the Pacific coast
due to the mild climate, many Pacific Native birds do not migrate, even if they migrate too far. However, birds traveling from north to south take advantage of the turbulent coastal currents, which are rich in plankton and fish. Coastlines like this, plus the sun and stars It can provide visual guidance to keep the birds on the flight path.
Wetland wild
birds, shorebirds and waders are the travel masters with the longest migration distance. Among the various cranes, the sandhill crane (also known as the Canadian crane) has the largest number There are about 600,000 cranes. The cranes with the farthest migration path are the small sandhill cranes, which breed in various parts of the Arctic, and they can reach northern Mexico as far as the winter when they go south. But some do not fly that far, and some sandhill cranes It stops after flying to Texas. During breeding, the populations will spread out to make the most of their habitat area, but at relay stations, such as the Platte River in Nebraska, they will gather in large numbers---some join The birds at the relay station even deviated from their original flight route by as much as 1,500 kilometers. The
Arctic region-where travelers from the North
can get out of the sun 24 hours a day in a summer, life is pretty good; for the waterbirds that breed here , this is a piece of fertile land, but the arctic cold of winter will make the majority of the birds migrate south, there is only a short flight, some will fly to the distant South America, Africa and even Australia.
Yan Zi came
Many waterfowls use tundra as their home, among which the black geese nest almost up to the northernmost point of their distribution. Starting from the Yukon Delta, they join the ranks of thousands of companions, and eat gorgingly in the Izembek Lagoon in Alaska. Their staple food is leaf algae; it may be due to global warming. Nowadays, some black geese will spend the whole winter here. The hard journey sometimes reduces the black goose’s weight by one-third. Due to the threat to the habitat of the leaf algae, the black goose’s survival is also in trouble. The prairie and the pothole area on the border between the
grassland and the plains of the
United States and Canada are An important habitat for migratory birds to migrate, and a major breeding ground for waterfowl. One of the most commonly used inland relay stations for shorebirds in the northern hemisphere is the wetlands on the brothers of Xi'an, Kansas. The Great Plains of the United States and the Mississippi Valley jointly feed the North American continent. The
vast boreal forests
from Alaska to Newfoundland have large cedar forests, birch forests and sour bog ponds, here are also shorebirds, hundreds of waterfowl, and nearly one-third of the songbirds in North America However, humans continue to destroy this habitat for life. In the past 30 years, 24 million hectares of forest have been deforested in Canada alone.
Crisis
is a dangerous thing when migrating, and birds may be on the way. Eaten, shot, blown by the wind, or get lost - and die from fatigue or hunger. Industrial and agricultural pollution can also cause damage, and the bright light in the city can also interfere with the flight of birds, causing Staggering deaths and injuries. It is estimated that more than 100 million disoriented birds die every year when they hit the windows of high-rise buildings.
Staying in the Gulf of Mexico
Some birds are unable to fly over the 1,000-kilometer-wide Gulf of Mexico, so they will travel along the land of Central America south, then return through the Gulf of Mexico coastline. but other birds, including more than 50 kinds of songbirds, will choose flying over the Gulf of Mexico, while fly downwind.
cruising flight
In order to use the most favorable wind direction and food source, the flight path of the birds may form a huge oval, called a circular migration, for example, they may turn to the south over the Atlantic Ocean, and then turn to the north over the Gulf of Mexico. Birds have each evolved this strategy.
shelters holy Land
pleasant weather and plenty of food to induce breeding bird in northern temperate regions came to Mexico, the West Indies or South America for the winter, these neotropical migratory birds The ancestors might have lived in the south, but after the last ice age, they spread to the north to reduce competition.
Into the Amazon,
although deforestation is very serious, this environment still supports one of the world's most diverse groups of resident birds, and the birds here are already Specialized, they have their own niches in the rainforest. Relatively speaking, only a few migratory birds spend the winter here, perhaps because they cannot compete with well-adapted native birds. Amazon birds themselves may also have some migratory behaviors, but The current understanding of this aspect is still quite lacking.
Migratory raptors fly thousands of miles in the most elegant posture. Peregrine falcons will fly along the coast and over the inland waterways, and all continents are their homes. Like their names, many Peregrine falcons will indeed travel around the world, some will fly from Baffin Island in Canada to the pampas in Argentina, and then go back, and will pass the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta on the return journey, and others may prey in the Caribbean River and the Gulf of Mexico first. Stay in the rich coastline and
go north through Texas in the spring. Fishing goes
to Peru and Chile, and the upwelling will bring a wealth of food to the sea. During the non-Christian year, when the prey is abundant, birds Will compete with fishermen, so there are always some birds trapped by nets or fishing lines, resulting in injury or death.
From Patagonia
here in the southern hemisphere, the season is opposite to the north, so the direction of migration of birds is also the opposite. It starts from the breeding grounds in the temperate zone of the South, and travels to places near the Tropic of Capricorn or even to the north to spend the winter. There are more than 250 species of birds that have participated in this southern migration.
China is located in the Asia-Pacific migration zone, and the migration direction of waterfowl is mainly It is the north-south direction, which is specifically divided into Central Asia-India Fly Zone, East Asia-Australia Fly Zone, and Western Pacific Fly Zone/
2: Go to Africa to
live
in the north. The Arctic region of Siberia has a severe climate, but the Arctic coast with rich wetlands is actually full of vigorous life. The coastal tundra of Siberia is the only unspoiled tundra in Asia, nourishing about 50% Most of the species of birds have webbed feet, including five species whose survival is threatened. Most of the migratory birds here migrate according to clear routes, moving from locations in the northeast to the southwest, reaching as far as Africa In recent decades, with global warming, the distribution range of temperate birds has gradually shifted northward. The timing of egg laying and migration of some birds has also been corrected in accordance with the changes in the peak number of insects, and cannot be adjusted in line with environmental changes. Birds are facing a cruel future.
The Gathering
Dead Sea Valley is the world's largest migratory bird gathering place. As many as 1 billion birds are exhausted after flying over the desert between Europe and Africa or between Asia and Africa. Rest near the Red Sea to replenish energy. In the
air .
There will be accidents during the ambush . A migratory bird may be a threat to other migratory birds. At the end of summer every year, Ellie's falcons will hover in the north wind over the Mediterranean. They will hunt from the air and fly to Africa. toot of songbirds. in season, the 20000 Falcon could kill 10 million songbirds, Ellie's falcon breeding of the summer will be delayed until later than other birds, in order to take full advantage of these mobile food source.
greatest Obstacles
Approximately 5 million migratory birds fly over the 2,200 kilometers of Sahara Desert every year. This is the most terrifying natural obstacle in bird migration. After overcoming the Mediterranean or Asian and Arabian deserts, most of the birds will pass through food and water. There is ample western or central corridor to fly over the Sahara, and fly at a higher and cooler altitude.
Soaring raptors are
not adapted to long-distance sea flights, and most raptors usually take their way over narrow waters. There are more than 100,000 beehawks each year. A long straight flight across the Strait of Gibraltar, traveling between Europe and the Sahara Desert. In addition, it is recorded that about 850,000 birds from the east flew across the Red Sea and migrated. Similarly, the European birds of prey are best at flying long distances. The small eagle eagle travels between Europe and southern Africa via the Bosphorus, Levant and the Suez Canal. Starting from Germany, it finally flies to the vicinity of Madob in southern Mozambique.
The
widely distributed barn swallows are migratory birds that predict the arrival of spring. They thrive in places with a large number of insects. They breed in Eurasia, North Africa and North America, and hunt as far as the southernmost point of the continents. Barn swallows can be farmed. It is home to other human-developed land, and large-scale poultry houses can accommodate millions of house swallows. In addition, the distribution range of Alaska's spikelet population has migrated from Europe to the north and east to the present place since the last ice age. Although there is now closer to home at a suitable winter habitat, but they are still under genetic factors driven along the route their ancestors flew south of the Sahara Africa, a distance of about 21,000 km.
flying south The
number of winter migratory birds that travel to Africa during the winter is unparalleled. There are as many as 185 species and about 4.5 billion migratory birds will make this journey. If they pass through the Sahara Desert, many will rest in the open woods and grasslands of the Sahel. And it will be calculated to arrive after the rainy season when the insects are prosperous. During the dry period, due to the scarcity of insects, the birds feed on the berries of the marshes and river valleys. After they continue to fly south, they will spread out and look for other migratory birds. Most of the places that are moved out will avoid forests full of resident birds.
3: Flying over East Asia,
humans learned that birds have migratory flight routes, which are derived from the observation of waterbirds, because they have always followed the traditional flight routes. The cygnets that breed on the Russian tundra will go to the Netherlands or the United Kingdom in the winter through the routes available to them in the late summer, and the easternmost ethnic group will go to China. And the arrival date is often the same
as the previous year due to the rapid population. Increasingly, the flight route of East Asia may be the most threatened bird migration area in the world. This flight route starts in the Arctic region of Hesiberia, Alaska, goes straight down to New Zealand and Australia through East Asia, passing more than 20 countries and a large section of the Pacific Ocean. row after these airspace mostly shorebirds and seabirds, including generally considered to be full-round non-stop from Alaska to New Zealand bar-tailed godwit.
habitat disappears
In the competition between humans and wild animals, birds are often losers. In Asia, human development has threatened or reduced a quarter of the bird species, and this trend has not stopped. New Markham, South Korea wetlands are important waterfowl relay station, and now may become agricultural land, dams build planned Russian oil exploration and the Yangtze River in China have been a threat to the breeding and wintering site crane population in eastern Siberia.
shelter when not flying
Volga The delta is a hiding place for many waterfowls during the moulting period. Most birds will gradually moult over a period of time, but unlike waterfowls, their flying feathers will drop in large quantities at once, making them unable to fly and vulnerable to attack. They adapt in July to migrate to the predator-free areas of the Wowa River to moult, wait for new feathers to grow, and eat happily before starting again in winter. The
arduous task of the
towering Himalayas cannot stop resoluteness. The bar-headed geese, which fly directly over the mountains at an amazing altitude of 9,000 meters, mostly go to India. Many other birds choose a branch line, which is a longer route around the mountains.
The Home of the Lost is
for getting lost in the fog. For migratory birds blown off the route, headlands or islands such as Taiwan are desirable places to stay. Birds that get lost along the coast of Taipingyang may also go to Japan's Shiretoko National Park or the bird sanctuary of Xinbin, China's Yangtze River Take refuge in the Mipo Marsh in the mouth or Hong Kong. The migratory birds that fly the longest distance
from the coast and the marsh
and stick to their own routes include many shorebirds and wading birds. Taking the white crane as an example, it takes a journey of 10,000 kilometers to fly to South Africa Most of them take the east route through the Bosphorus and the bottom of the Four Seas, avoiding the vast waters; there are also a few flying south through the Strait of Gibraltar. Now some will stay in Europe, in the rubbish pair and rice fields. Foraging. The endangered white cranes will also take different routes. A small number of western white cranes spend the winter in Iran, and the eastern white cranes with more than 2500 are in the Poyang Lake area of China.
Wanderers in New Zealand and Australia
Less than 15% of the landbirds in Australia and New Zealand are true migratory birds, and most of them fly north to New Guinea or Indonesia.The birds in the region only fly short distances in the local area to find the place with the least dry climate. polar northern hemisphere there are more than 35 kinds of birds will fly south Australia, there are many birds will fly north from Antarctica, avoid cold winter.
4: the vast expanse of water
is water everywhere on Earth, but only a handful of Hou Birds fly in the ocean. These are mainly seabirds and shorebirds. They travel the world or travel between the North and South poles on amazing long trips, which can take up to several months. Severe climate or land. The obstacles may force them to adopt a wave-like flight pattern instead of a branch line, and the birds will adjust their routes to find the wind that can provide assistance or abundant food.
Although it is unimaginable, an Arctic tern migrates back and forth. The travel distance may be as long as 40,000 kilometers-almost equivalent to the circumference of the earth, which is the longest migration path in the world. As the autumn footsteps gradually approach their breeding grounds in high latitudes, many Atlantic Arctic swallows The gull population will fly south along the west coast of Africa, heading to Antarctica to enjoy the warmest months in the area. As for the next whereabouts of the terns, it is still unclear. Some terns may seek food when the ice retreats. Will take a circuitous route around Antarctica until they are ready to embark on a journey north.
Some seabirds are very adapted to marine life, and even only come to land during breeding. Wandering albatross is the bird with the longest wingspan, up to 3 -4 meters. They ride the wind and glide between the waves, and spend about 70% of their lives on the sea. Between breeding, their flying distance may exceed 30,000 kilometers, including hundreds of kilometers each time Foraging journey. Few albatross will enter the North Atlantic Ocean, because they may be trapped in the calm and windless zone, but in the apocalyptic southern seas-the wind roars and waves at forty-five degrees south latitude and In the raging sea between sixty degrees, they can ride the squally wind several times around the earth in a year.
Watching them flap their wings and cut through the storm and fly over the beating waves, burning rocks like fire, colorful forests and gentle deserts, and looking at the migration routes densely covering the entire earth on the map, what can we say. Adult birds have just grown their feathers and ran under the moonlight to the take-off hills to start the first epic journey in their lives. Perhaps before they spread their wings, they already have star maps, mountains and the direction of the sun in their minds. They have been migrating since ancient times, and have never changed the ancient rules of travel. They go back and forth between their birthplace and wintering places every year. There are no borders and no nationalities, and their only real root system is where they learn to fly.
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