Fall is on the horizon in the northern hemisphere, and migratory birds are on the wing! More than half of the 650 species of North American breeding birds migrate, but there are a lot of different shapes those migrations can take. Here are just a few of the differences you might notice:
- Timing: Most birds migrate at night, but some, like hawks and swallows, migrate during the day. Most move with the turning of the seasons, but some start earlier than you might expect. Male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds start migrating as early as July!
- Distance: Some birds travel short distances, or simply go from a higher elevation to a lower one. Others make truly epic, long-distance journeys. The Hudsonian Godwit makes a trip from breeding grounds in arctic Alaska almost to the southernmost tip of South America—just under 10,000 miles!
- Destination: While most birds in the western hemisphere travel north to south in fall, there's no single destination all birds flock to. Elegant Terns leave their very restrictive breeding grounds off the coast of Mexico and California and spread out along the entire Pacific coast.
There's so much more to learn! Continue learning the why and how of bird migration in this article from All About Birds.
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