Let’s talk about migratory birds. What are they? Where do they come from? Why are they here? Why should you care?
Twice a year, hundreds of different species of birds fly either north or south during Spring Migration and Fall Migration. There are over 650 North American bird species and more than half of them migrate! But why?
- Reason number one: FOOD.
- Birds migrate to ensure a plentiful food supply. When supplies become scarce, birds need to fly to warmer climates where food is available.
- Reason number two: CLIMATE.
- Many birds need to keep a warm body temperature. If it’s too cold, that can’t happen.
- Water fowl can’t survive on frozen bodies of water.
- When temperatures get too cold, food is not as readily available. Again, we go back to the number one reason as to why birds migrate – FOOD.
- Reason number three: BREEDING.
- Birds need a suitable conditions to raise their offspring. That can mean different things to different birds. They need proper shelter, specific food sources, and breeding colonies
- Other reasons birds migrate: DISEASE and PREDATORS
- Birds that migrate to different breeding grounds avoid the onslaught of predators also looking for reliable food sources.
- Birds that migrate have a much lower risk of spreading disease to other birds for the simple fact that they aren’t always crammed into the same small spaces together.
One group of migratory birds are considered short-distance migrants which means they don’t travel far, typically moving from a higher location to a lower elevation. Another group of migratory birds are the medium-distance migrants, which means they travel distances that span a few hundred miles at most. And then there are the long-distance migrants – these birds are the most common and can travel thousands of miles between their summer and winter homes. These are the birds that I’m the most excited about. I am awestruck at the distances they travel and the fact that they ended up in MY YARD.
Here are all the migratory birds that have visited my yard over the past couple of years:
Stay tuned for my next post where I will introduce you to one of my migratory visitors!
– Allison, BRB