That simple observation answered the question “Why?” for virtually all migrating species. In 1555 a Frenchman named Pierre Belon wrote from firsthand experience, “As swallows cannot spend the winter in Europe both because of the greatĬold and because they would not find food, they go to Africa, Egypt and Arabia, where, since winter resembles our summer, they have no lack of nourishment.” 3 Migration is inextricably linked to the seasons, but how do birds know the seasons are changing? What causes the change in seasons? 2īut clues began to appear two centuries before Linnaeus. Who gave us the binomial classification system for all living creatures, believed that swallows wintered underwater. Aristotle believed that certain species hid in holes in the ground and in trees, where they became featherless until the following spring. Until recently, erroneous theories abounded. Why do birds migrate and when do they travel? Where are they headed and how do they know where to go? Truly, “migration is theīut for centuries this phenomenon was shrouded in mystery. The winter in milder climates? This amazing, predictable movement occurs twice each year, involving millions of birds worldwide, traveling hundreds and even thousands of miles. Who hasn’t thrilled to the sight of V-formations of migrating geese as they wing their way north to their nesting grounds, or heard them squawking overhead in autumn as they head back south to spend
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