With the approach of warming temperatures and longer days, we will soon be seeing the trickle and then the flood of migrants as they cascade into the forests and prairies of the northern latitudes. Most, if not all, of us herald this annual event with fervor. We think of the birds as making steady, daily progress northward, but according to an article recently published in Science, the yearly passage may be at a pace that is absolutely astonishing. The study focused on Purple Martins and Wood Thrushes (both rarities in our Montana neck of the woods, but bear with me) that were outfitted with small (weighing less than a dime) geolocator transmitters. The data streaming from those miniscule electronic devices brought to light that the birds were covering the vast distances with more speed than previously anticipated. The birds more traveling between ~230 and nearly 600 kilometers per day. These rates and distances underlie the importance of migration stopovers and the protection of these areas. The article abstract can be found at on the Science website.
Loading tweets...
