by Birds have always been a source of inspiration for humanity, and planes indicate human desire to imitate them. But they have more to teach than the power of the flight. Twice a year, when hibernation animals such as bears and squirrels either roll up for deep sleep or extend into spring, migratory birds prepare for epic trips across the country and sea.
They play a crucial role in keeping nature in balance. If you fly from one place to another, plants, spread seeds and control pests by eating insects and other invertebrates, they wear the health of ecosystems, which in turn contributes to nutritional security.
And that’s not all. Francisco Rilla, a wildlife biologist and consultant of the United Nations, who concentrate on preservation and wandering species, said that migratory birds also “Organic indicators” serve.
In other words, since you tend to avoid dirty areas, your movements provide useful information to evaluate water and air quality.
To the ends of the earth and back
On their autumn trip, birds observe the decreasing daylight – which they understand in order to make it possible shortly – for a shorter supply – for a sign that it is time to drive south.
Some, like the tiny Arctic stars, leave the dark cold arctic for winter, fly to the Antarctic circle and flew a tour of around 90,000 kilometers (55,900 miles). This extensive journey makes her the world record writers for the longest migration routes in the animal kingdom.
Another champion is the bar-tailed Godwit, which flies from the northern US state of Alaska to the Australian island of Tasmania. A 5-month-old bird holds the Guinness record for the longest uninterrupted flight after covering 13,560 kilometers in 11 days and an hour.
Godwits with a bar cock that feed in Alaska for two months can reduce the size of their inner organs to make room for the high-energy fats that are needed to keep them running during the long journey. But for some types, climate change makes such a performance less likely.
How does human activity affect migration?
Migrating birds use sun, stars, coasts and large water bodies to lead them around the world on their travels. But some places where you stop to rest and recharge the coast are changed by floods that are connected to the rising sea level.
Small crustaceans that are an important source of food for migratory birds may have difficulty building their mussels and skeletons in oceans that have to be absorbed by more carbon dioxide. And this affects migratory birds.
Without sufficient food, they survive less tedious trips or reproduce them successfully.
Birds and humans are also threatened by the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as storms. You can pull strong winds down and kill.
Likewise, climate change can affect how migratory birds behave.
Warmer temperatures can remove the threat from food shortages and cause the birds to shorten their routes or not to be due to their original habitat at all.
This in turn can lead to conflicts about food between migratory birds and resident animals. While some wandering birds, such as the Arctic stars, have compensated for strong winds through more energy for their travels, other types have succumbed to the pressure of human activity.
Such a bird was the slim Curlew, which was extended in 2024. Researchers believe that the breed could not adapt to the loss of the habitat.
How to help migratory birds on their travels
Although people often feed birds, Rilla can harm more than benefit them. If you get bread and seeds that are intended for humans, you may feel too full to eat the things that give you decisive nutrients. He added that the use of food in places where it is easy to recognize could expose birds to predict.
Instead, Rilla recommended that this traveler to help the governments to expand the network of protected areas through international contracts such as the convention on the preservation of wandering types of wild animals.
The United Nations Environmental Program has reconciled with these recommendations, but suggests that they continue through more bird -friendly places. This year’s World Migration Vogel Day on May 10 emphasizes the promotion of coexistence between humans and birds. The main message is to promote the creation of healthy habitats, reduce the pollution and avoid glass buildings that represent a significant risk of collision for birds.
When wandering birds start to disappear, this can affect agriculture and food chain. In other words, as Rillo said: “Whatever happens to them could also happen to us.”
Published by: Tamsin Walker
