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Have you noticed the absolutely astounding and fascinating phenomenon happening outside these days? Yes, it is migration time with millions of birds travelling to their spring/summer homes in the northern hemisphere (or their fall/winter homes in the southern half of the world)!
Below are some interesting migrating facts. |
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| How do birds find their way? |
| Sighting (they don't call it a “bird's eye view” for nothing) features like rivers, coastlines, and mountain ranges. They monitor earth’s magnetic field, with their visual system and with tiny grains of a mineral called magnetite in their heads. They also observe the stars, use the sun for guidance, have a distinct sense of small and also follow their neighbours. |
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| Why do some birds go north for the summer? |
| There’s much more to eat there! The 24-hour days near the Arctic Circle produces a fantastic flowering of life. This brief, but abundant, source of food attracts many birds to the Arctic for breeding purposes. |
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| What influences migration patterns over the long term? |
| Changes in climate (particularly ice ages), and shifts in the positions of islands and continents as a result of tectonic drift. |
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| How do they keep going? |
| Some birds store a special, high-energy fat before the trip. Other species eat along their migration routes. |
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| How high can they fly? |
| Higher than Mt. Everest! |
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