Tag Archives: HOW DO MIGRATING BIRDS FIND THEIR WAY?

130.HOW MIGRATING BIRDS FIND THEIR WAY?

In the late summer, many birds in various parts of the world leave their homes and fly south for the winter. Sometimes they travel to other continents, thousands of miles away. Next spring, these birds return not only to the same country, but often to the very same nest in the same building! How do they find their way?

Various interesting experiments have been made to try to find the answer. In one of these, a group of storks was taken from their nests before the time of the autumn migration and moved to another place. From this new location, they would have to travel in a new direction to reach their winter feeding grounds. But when the time came, they took off in exactly the same direction they would have followed from their old home! It seems as if they have an inborn instinct that tells them to fly off in a certain direction when winter approaches. The ability of birds to find their way home is equally amazing.