AUTUMN -- A MOST BEAUTIFUL TIME FOR BIRDS

AUTUMN BIRDS

Autumn moves millions of birds to seek summer’s bounty elsewhere. They migrate north & south, following the food and comfortable weather.

Autumn bird migrations are spectacular to watch. When you consider how they manage to navigate and travel such great distances, it is even more beautiful to consider.

Approximately 1800 of the world's 10,000 bird species travel thousands of miles each time they relocate.

Many, if not most, birds migrate in flocks because it can reduce the energy needs of each individual.

Geese use about 12–20% less energy flying in v-formation than they need to fly alone. Some, such as Red knots (Calidris canutus and dunlins) fly faster en masse than they do by themselves.

Birds fly at varying altitudes during migration. However most bird migration is in the range of 150 to 600 m (490 to 1,970 ft).

Most species of penguin (Spheniscidae) migrate by swimming over 1,000 km (620 mi) to warmer, more fertile waters. Dusky grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) and Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) walk each autumn to their spring and summer homes.

It’s a marvel to consider how they know which routes to travel. Many birds use a sun compass. Some can detect magnetic fields (magnetoreception), while others use visual landmarks  or olfactory cues.

Long-distance migrant birds have the cognitive ability to recognize habitats and form mental maps. And they get better with age -- older individuals are better at making corrections for wind drift, for example.

Studies have shown that there is a neural connection between some birds’ eyes and "Cluster N", the part of the forebrain that is active during migrational orientation, which suggests that birds may be able to see the magnetic field of the earth.

The next time you see a flock flying south this autumn, imagine the beauty they see along their journey.

Read more about Beautiful Autumn in Celebrating Ideas & Images of Autumn Now, Keep Autumn Migrations Beautiful: Save Monarch Butterflies Now, 10 Most Beautiful Autumn Food Festivals Now , Autumn Is a Most Beautiful Time For Reindeer, 10 Most Beautiful Autumn Places and Our Hearts Beat Faster in Autumn As Our Minds & Bodies Change.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Sandy Brown Jensen. “Tundra Swans.”
2. Image: by Alex Berger. “Birds - Near Aarhus.”
3. Image: by Stephen Muehleisen. “The Fall Migration 2.”
4. Image: by Mark Iocchelli. “Bird Lullaby.”
5. Image: by Scott Smithson. “Dusky Grouse.”
6. Image: by Putneypics. “Robin and Moon, Sand Hill Road, Putney VT.”
7. Image: by Don McCullough. “Migration.”
8. Image: by Eric Lelant. “Untitled.”
9. Image: by mdprovost. “Autumn Walk - Migration.”
10. Image: by jeaneeem. “Untitled.”
11. Image: by Trent. “Geese.”
12. Image: by BN App - Download now!
13. Image: by moonjazz. “Blackbirds at Dusk, Asheville, North Carolina.”