Natworld

Bird Migration

1) Bar-headed Geese	Each Spring Bar-headed Geese fly from India through the Himalayan range, above Mount Everest, on their way to their nesting grounds in Tibet. They are capable of flying through the passes of the highest mountains at heights of 12,000-14,000 feet with winds that blow at speeds of more than 200 kph and temperatures low enough to freeze exposed flesh instantly. At this height, oxygen levels drop by one-third; even kerosene cannot burn there and helicopters cannot fly there. So How do they do it? a) Their powerful and constant flight helps generate body heat, which is retained by their down feathers. Such heat helps keep ice from building up on their wings when flying over mountains. b) They have developed a special type of Haemoglobin that absorbs Oxygen quicker than other birds; they can also extract more oxygen from each breath than other birds can. This allows them to migrate more than 1,500 kms in a single day at over 80km/h without Wind Assistance.
2) Arctic Terns	The Arctic Tern makes the longest journey of all Migrating Birds, migrating from the North Pole in Autumn down to the South Pole and then back again in Spring. The round trip can be as much as 35,000km. Long-tailed Jaegers can also fly flies 8,000 to 15,000 kms in each direction as well.
3) Ruby-throated Hummingbirds	These little birds start migrating in North America, with this area of Texas serving as a staging area. They then fly non-stop 800 kms across the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan Pennisula in Central America where they will spend the winter. Some interesting facts are a) Length - 9 cm b) Weight - 3.1 grams c) Body temperature - 105 - 108 F d) Wing beat - 40 - 80 times per second e) Respiration - 250 times per minute f) Heartbeat - 250 beats per minute resting, 1,200 bpm feeding g) Flight speed - 30 mph normal, 40 mph escape speed h) Eyes - Possibly 8 times binocular vision, can see a flower from 1 km away
4) American Golden Plover	During the Summer months of the Northern Hemisphere, the American Golden Plover is found in Alaska. When Winter approaches, it sets off on an epic voyage to Hawaii. This involves a nonstop flight which takes it across the open sea, where no island punctuates the watery expanse. In addition, the bird cannot swim, so that a stop for a rest is impossible. The flight is a distance of at least 4,000 kilometers (depending on its starting-off point), and lasts up to 88 hours, with probably about a quarter-million consecutive wing beats. Yet somehow, the bird carries sufficient fuel to burn enough energy to enable it to fly for 88 hours nonstop. How does it do this? Consider some further amazing details. The bird's starting weight is 7 ounces, of which 2.5 ounces are stored as layers of fat to be used as fuel. It is known that the Golden Plover converts 0.6 percent per hour of its current body weight into energy and heat. If you calculate this over a period of 88 hours, you will find that the Golden Plover has used almost 3 ounces of fuel. This is more than the available 2.5 ounces! Bear in mind that the bird itself cannot fall below 4.5 ounces. Thus, in spite of flying at the speed which minimizes his fuel consumption, the bird does not have enough fuel to reach Hawaii. Why does it not crash into the sea a good 500 miles before it reaches its destination, when it should have run out of fuel? The answer is breathtaking. The same Designer Who gave the bird its aerodynamic shape gave the bird a vital piece of information: not to fly singly, but in V-formation. In V-formation it saves 23 percent of its energy - enough to reach its winter quarters safely. But that is not all. The extra power saved by flying in this manner will leave the Golden Plover with one-quarter ounce of fat in reserve after 88 hours of flying. Do not for one moment think that this extra fuel is superfluous. It has been included so that the bird reaches its destination even against a contrary wind. The extent of intelligence is breathtaking.
5) Sandpipers	Sandpipers shrink their own internal organs by partially absorbing them to create more space to store body fat reserves for their long migration of 6000 miles. Before leaving, they are able to double their weight
6) Eleanora's Falcon	The Eleonora's Falcon which breeds on Mediterranean islands has a very late breeding season, timed so that autumn Migrants can be hunted to feed its young as they pass by the islands.
7) Bush Blackcaps	Some Species migrate altitudinally after food. In Summer, the fruit they require are at higher altitudes, but in Winter when these areas become much colder, they move out of these areas to Lower altitudes.
8) Black-eared Sparrowlarks	Some Species move erratically in response to recent rainfall areas. It is difficult to predict where they will move and they are termed "Nomadic"
9) Barn Swallows	Capable of flying 10,000kms