Migration of Birds (1979)Lincoln, Frederick Charles
Science
Migration of Birds (1979)
Lincoln, Frederick Charles
Birds; Birds -- Migration
Recently, radar has aided greatly in determining differences in the
altitude of bird flight. Nocturnal migrants appear to fly slightly
higher, on the average, than diurnal migrants, but daytime flights
may be influenced more by cloud cover (Lack 1960a; Eastwood and Rider
1965). Bellrose (1971) found little difference in the altitudinal
distribution of small nocturnal migrants under clear or overcast
skies. Many night migrating birds are killed each year by striking
lighthouses, television towers or other man-made illuminated
obstructions, but this does not furnish proof that low altitudes are
generally used during nocturnal flight because these accidents occur
chiefly in foggy weather. Under such conditions, migrating birds seem
to be attracted to and confused by lights. Seabirds, such as loons,
eiders, and scoters, generally fly very low over the water but gain
altitude when land is crossed. The reverse is true for landbirds
(Dorst 1963; Bergman and Donner 1964; Eastwood and Rider 1965).
There may be a seasonal difference in the altitude of migration,
but the evidence is conflicting. Radar echoes studied by Bellrose
and Graber in Illinois (1963) showed fall migrants flew higher than
spring migrants. They speculated this difference was related to the
winds during the fall being more favorable for southerly migration
at higher altitudes, while winds at these altitudes in the spring
would be less favorable for northerly migration. Eastwood and Rider
(1965) studied seasonal migration patterns in England and found the
reverse to be true. They suggested one reason for this seasonal
difference was that flocks of fall migrants included many young birds
whose flight capabilities are inferior to adults and consequently are
unable to achieve the higher altitudes in the fall.
=SEGREGATION DURING MIGRATION=
By Individuals or Groups of Species
During the height of northward movement in spring, the woods and
thickets may suddenly be filled with several species of wood
warblers, thrushes, sparrows, flycatchers, and other birds.
It is natural to conclude they traveled together and arrived
simultaneously. Probably they did, but such combined migration is by
no means the rule for all species.
As a group, the wood warblers probably travel more in mixed companies
than do any other single family of North American birds. In spring
and fall, the flocks are likely to be made up of the adults and young
of several species. Sometimes swallows, sparrows, blackbirds, and
some of the shorebirds also migrate in mixed flocks. In the fall,
great flocks of blackbirds frequently sweep south across the Plains
States, with common grackles, red-winged blackbirds, yellow-headed
blackbirds, and Brewer's blackbirds included in the same flock.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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