Seasoned travellers
- POSTED ON: 12 Oct, 2019
- TOTAL VIEWS: 519 Views
- POSTED BY: Madhumitha Srinivasan
- ARTICLE POINTS: 100 Points
When the winter migratory season begins – be it in summer or winter, water bodies and sanctuaries across India get ready to welcome the winged guests — both from within and outside the country.
What is migration?
While birds such as the common crow and sparrows are comfortable in their urban homes throughout the year, some species live in places that get too cold during the winter, and food supply becomes sparse. So, they undertake an annual large-scale journey from the breeding area (where they stay during the warmer seasons such as spring and summer) to a wintering area — where they will spend the winter months, and return after the season ends. These movements are called migration. Some species travel across states, countries or continents, while a few others, especially in India, migrate up and down the slopes of the Himalayas.
How do they do it?
Their route is set and generation after generation, follow the path.
Experts have figured that birds use different techniques:
Visual cues: Mountain ranges, and rivers.
Aural cues: Birds can hear low-frequency sounds, a skill that allows them to pick up sounds of waves or winds from the mountains and deserts from great distances away.
Earth’s magnetic field: Their eyes work as a magnetic compass, thanks to a type of protein located in them, and directs them while detecting the angle and intensity of the magnetic field.
Before starting on the journey, the birds build up their fat and sugar storage in the body — with some species even doubling their body weight — to sustain them for a long period. The period of travel can vary from a few days to several months.
The Artic tern travels the most during its migration, flying approximately 70,000 km per year to and from the Artic and Antarctic!
Take a look at few of our feathered friends who travel thousands of kilometers from different parts of the world to make their seasonal home in India.