For the third year in a row, a snowy owl originally banded in Maryland is back from the Far North—and thanks to ground-breaking tracking technology, scientists with Project SNOWstorm have been able to follow its movements across thousands of miles with an unprecedented level of precision. The male snowy owl, then a juvenile on its […]
Tag: migration
Missing Scottish osprey found 3,000 miles away in Senegal
An osprey that went missing from a Scottish nature reserve for more than 18 months has been found almost 3,000 miles away – on a beach in Senegal. The three-year-old male bird, known as Blue YD, was tagged with a lightweight satellite tracker in July 2012 at a Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) reserve near Forfar. […]
Wildlife catastrophe at Amazon dam a warning for future Tapajós dams
When the Balbina Dam was completed in 1986, it flooded primary forest in the state of Amazonas along Brazil’s Uatumã River, forming a massive reservoir speckled by 3,546 flood-induced islands. In 1990, the Reserva Biológica (REBIO) do Uatumã was established, protecting the entire 443,700 hectare (109,6427 acre) reservoir, dubbed Balbina Lake, along with the adjacent […]
‘Flat out scary’: Only 9% of world’s migratory birds adequately protected
Migratory birds are awe-inspiring. Every year, millions traverse across oceans and continents, many each racking up thousands of miles as they fly. The longest marathon migrant, the Arctic tern, covers more than 70,000 kilometers (about 44,000 miles) annually during its journey from the Arctic to the Antarctic, and back. However, very few migratory bird species […]
Swifts migrate from Beijing to southern Africa without landing
Swifts born in Beijing’s old imperial palaces travel 16,000 miles every year to southern Africa and back again without touching ground, and over a lifetime clock up enough miles to get halfway to the moon. New research suggests that after they leave their nests for the first time, the birds spend up to three years […]
Amazing: Tiny Birds Fly Without Landing for Three Days
Warblers that weigh about as much as a stack of 12 business cards fly thousands of miles across the Atlantic during their fall migration. Imagine a journey that requires you to first pack on the pounds, then get rid of your intestines, and finally to forgo eating and sleeping for three days. For the blackpoll […]
Northern Bald Ibises Take Turns When Flying in V-Shaped Formation
Migrations are inherently risky for birds. Previous studies have suggested that up to 35 percent of juvenile birds can die of exhaustion on their first migration. Flying in V-shaped or echelon formation can help to save vital energy: it is estimated geese can make energy savings of 10-14 percent by gaining lift from flying in […]
Video: Christmas Island’s Incredible Red Crab Migration
Australia’s Christmas Island—located south of Indonesia in the Indian Ocean—is named for the day of its discovery in 1643. But, if you’re familiar with the incredible natural phenomenon that occurs there around this time of year, you may have thought the island was aptly named for the sea of red that blankets the island each […]