Birds Migration Essay

According to Salewski and Bruderer (2007) is the regular, endogenously controlled, seasonal movement of birds between breeding and non-breeding areas. Migration is an adaptation that has been shaped by the natural selection. Birds have likely been migrating for millions of years. Migration continues to be a widespread phenomenon, with more than half of the world’s approximately 10,000 species of birds classified as migrants (Berthold 1998). However, the percentage of bird species that exhibit migratory behavior varies with latitude. The desire of migration is a hereditary impulse. The timing of the migration is usually a mixture of internal and external stimulus. Migration is a dangerous but necessary journey for many birds. Fortunately, they

*The speed of migration is different for different species, depending on when they migrate. *A new study has found interesting differences in the migration speeds of early and late migrants between Europe and Africa. *In general, flight velocity of birds ranges from 20 to 50 miles per hour. *For sustained flight, larger birds typically fly faster than smaller birds. * A common flying speed of ducks and geese is between 40 and 50 miles per hour, but among the smaller birds it is much less. *Herons, hawks, Horned Larks, ravens, and shrikes, timed with an automobile speedometer have been found to fly 22 to 28 miles per hour, whereas some of the flycatchers fly at only 10 to 17 miles per hour. *Even such fast-flying birds as the Mourning Dove

If all birds were to stay in the same tropical regions year-round, food would become scarce and breeding would be less successful. Breeding ground – *One of the main reasons behind migration is to find out suitable breeding grounds that provide suitable conditions for raising young ones. Climate – In birds different types of plumage are found to survive different climates. changes in those climates can affect migration. Many birds leave the Arctic breeding groundswhen temperatures begin to dip and they need more temperate habitat. *Similarly, the hottest tropical regions can be a harsh environment for raising chicks, and it is advantageous to lay eggs further north. Predators – *Habitats that have abundant food sources year-round also attract a greater number of predators that can threaten nests. *Birds that migrate to