Migration of Birds (1979)Lincoln, Frederick Charles
Science
Migration of Birds (1979)
Lincoln, Frederick Charles
Birds; Birds -- Migration
[Illustration: _Figure 9. Numbers of male and female blackcaps
captured daily in mist nets during spring migration at Eilat, Israel,
in 1968. At this point in their migration the sexes are passing
through the area at the same time. In other species (e.g., the
buntings in Fig. 8), the males often precede the females._]
By Kinds of Flocks
Migratory flights are frequently accomplished in close flock
formation, as with shorebirds, blackbirds, waxwings, and especially
some of the buntings, longspurs, juncos, and tree sparrows. Other
species maintain a very loose flock formation; examples are turkey
vultures, hawks, swifts, blue jays, swallows, warblers, and
bluebirds. Still others, the grebes, snowy owls, winter wrens,
shrikes, and belted kingfishers, ordinarily travel alone, and when
several are found in close proximity it is an indication they have
been drawn together by unusual conditions, such as abundant food.
Just as flocking among resident birds provides group protection
against predation, flocking in migration greatly facilitates the
attainment of destination (Pettingill 1970). The V-shaped flocks
often associated with Canada geese have a definite energy conserving
function by creating favorable air currents for every member of the
flock but the leader; when the leader becomes tired, it will often
change places with a member behind. Night migrating flocks generally
fly in looser formations than do day migrating flocks.
=WHERE BIRDS MIGRATE=
Migration by Populations Within Species
Both length and duration of migratory journeys vary greatly between
families, species, or populations within a species. Bobwhite, western
quails, cardinals, Carolina wrens, and probably some of the titmice
and woodpeckers are apparently almost or entirely nonmigratory. These
species may live out their entire existence without going more than
10 miles from the nest where they were hatched.
Many song sparrows, meadowlarks, blue jays, and other species make
such short migrations that the movement is difficult to detect
because individuals, possibly not the same ones, may be found in
one area throughout the year while other individuals that move
south may be replaced by individuals from the north. Information on
different movements of this type, within a species, can be gained by
observing birds marked with numbered bands, colored materials, or
identification of racially distinct museum specimens.
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