Birds across the world experience vast extremes in weather causing species to migrate. Migration is defined as seasonal movements from one region to another. Different species of birds will migrate for various reasons. Consistent factors to this effect are moving to areas with higher food sources and more accessible nesting areas.
Migration has evolved from a simple need of needing food to a change in the genetic makeup of certain migratory species. As the glacial retreat occurred, birds in the tropics began to journey north for the abundant food sources. When weather started getting cold and food became harder to locate, the birds would migrate back to the tropics where nesting and food had the chance to become bountiful again.
Fun Fact - Most migratory birds including hummingbirds can withstand freezing temperatures as long as an adequate food source is available.
How birds migrate is not fully understood. Birds compass information from the sun, stars and the earth's magnetic field to navigate their migration. There are species with preferred pathways that have been used for generations. Cranes and waterfowl fall into this category of using historical corridors year after year for travel. However, smaller birds like songbirds tend to take different routes every season. These pathways take advantage of the regional season and available food.
We are able to understand migration from research and tracking birds. Through banding, satellite tracking and geolocation technology we are able to start outlining birds' tendencies. Things you can do to help in bird research is reporting birds you see. This can easily be done on your phone. I use the Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab app. It is very simple and can be found in your phone's app store.
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