Birds are a group of animals that evolved from reptiles. These beings have as their main characteristic the body covered in feathers and the ability to fly, but do all birds fly? The answer is no, many birds, lack of predators or for developing another defense strategy, have lost the ability to fly.
Thanks to the flight, birds can travel long distances. However, some species begin to migrate when their wings have not yet developed. Want to know more about migratory birds? In this Animal Expert article, we tell you everything!
- If you have ever wondered what migratory birds are.
- You should understand what migration is.
- Animal migration is a type of mass movement of individuals of a species.
- It is a very strong and persistent movement.
- Which for these animals is impossible to resist.
- According to the researchers.
- It seems to depend on a kind of temporary inhibition of the species’s need to maintain its territory.
- And is mediated by the biological clock.
- By the change of schedule and summer temperature.
- It is not only the birds that perform these migratory movements.
- But also other groups of animals.
- Such as plankton.
- Many mammals.
- Reptiles.
- Insects.
- Fish and others.
The migration process has fascinated researchers for centuries. The beauty of animal group movements, as well as overcoming impressive physical barriers, such as deserts or mountains, have made migration the subject of many studies, especially when targeting small migratory birds.
Migratory movements are not insignificant movements, have been rigorously studied and are predictable for the animals that perform them, as is the case with migratory birds. The characteristics of animal migration are:
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Many birds perform long migratory movements. These movements usually begin in the north, where they have their nesting territories, to the south, where they spend the winter. Examples of migratory birds include:
The rustic swallow (Hirundo rustica)? is a migratory bird that lives in different climates and altitude bands. It is found mainly in Europe and North America, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, southwestern Europe, and south Asia and South America. According to the IUCN, its population is declining as a species of lesser concern [1]. It is one of the most popular types of swallows. In addition, individuals and their nests are protected by law in several countries.
The common chigre (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) inhabits mainly in Europe and Asia, although it can also be found in Africa and America during breeding or passing seasons. Its demographic trend is unknown and, although no significant risk to the population is considered, this species is susceptible to avian influenza, avian botulism, coastal oil spills and chemical pollutants. According to the IUCN, their situation is less worrying [2].
The singing swan (Cygnus cygnus) is one of the migratory birds threatened mainly by deforestation, although it is also considered a species of less concern for the IUCN [3]. There are different populations that can migrate from Iceland to the United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark to the Netherlands and Germany, from Kazakhstan to Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and from Korea to Japan. 4], Mongolia and China [5].
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Among migratory birds, pink flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) performs nomadic and partially migratory movements depending on the availability of food. Travel from West Africa to the Mediterranean, including South and South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. They regularly travel to warm regions in winter, placing their breeding colonies mainly in the Mediterranean and West Africa [6].
These gregarious animals move in large, dense colonies of up to 200,000 individuals. Outside of the breeding season, the herds are about 100 individuals. It is considered a less worrying animal, although fortunately its demographic trend is increasing, according to the IUCN, thanks to efforts in France and Spain to combat erosion and the lack of nesting islands to improve the reproduction of this species. [6]
The black stork (Ciconia nigra) is a completely migratory animal, however, some populations are also sedentary, for example in Spain. They travel on a narrow front along well-defined routes, individually or in small groups, of up to 30 individuals. Its demographic trend is unknown, so according to the IUCN, it is considered a species of least concern [7].
Ainda está querendo mais? Confira essa lista com mais exemplos de aves migratórias para que você possa se informar em detalhes:
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The world’s longest migratory bird, which reaches more than 70,000 kilometers, is the Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea). This animal breeds in the cold waters of the North Pole, when it is summer in this hemisphere. In late August, they began migrating to the South Pole and arrived in mid-December. This bird weighs about 100 grams and has a wingspan of between 76 and 85 centimeters.
The black sparrow (Puffinus griseus) is another migratory bird that leaves little to be desired of the Arctic swallow. Individuals of this species, whose migratory route extends from the Aleutian Islands in the Bering Sea to New Zealand, also travel a distance of 64,000 kilometers.
In the image we show the migratory routes of five Arctic swallows, followed by Holland. The black lines represent the journey south and the gray lines to the north [8].
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Curiosities section of the animal world.