Tag migration

How do birds know when winter is coming?

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How do birds know when winter is coming?

Many bird species migrate when winter is coming. They are called migratory birds. They migrate to locations near and far to find food, to find nesting grounds, to return to breeding colonies, to find new places if their habitat is damaged or destroyed, to escape predators, or for other reasons. 

The birds that do not migrate are called residential birds. They stay in the same location and prepare themselves for winter. 

Birds need to know when winter is coming so that they can start their migration, protect themselves from winter storms, start hoarding food for the coming winter, or fluff-up their feathers to protect themselves from the winter chill. 

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How does an Australian bird eat a poisonous Cane Toad?

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How does an Australian bird eat a poisonous Cane Toad?

In Australia, the poisonous Cane Toad (Bufo marinus) is not native to the country. It is an introduced, invasive pest living in tropical northern Australia that has rapidly spread due to the lack of predators. Animals that eat the warty amphibian die from the toxic secretions from large glands on the Cane Toad’s shoulder. The cardiac toxins can give all predators, such as snakes, goanna lizards, and even freshwater crocodiles, a deadly heart attack.

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RESEARCH: Long distance travel for migrating birds has disadvantages – a high ‘divorce’ rate

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There are some disadvantages of long distance travel for migrating birds says a scientific study.

The New Scientist’s LIFE magazine (November 2022) reports on the high rate of break-ups – ‘divorce’ – in bird species with longer migration routes. But why would there be a high rate of bird divorce?

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RESEARCH: Turtle Dove numbers are declining in the United Kingdom

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A research study in 2021 found that the number of Turtle Doves were declining in the United Kingdom. Volunteers, farmers, study groups, bird clubs, and other organizatios all contributed to the research. 

The first national survey of Turtle Doves in the UK in fifty years showed that there were only 2,100 pairs of Turtle Doves that now breed in the country, which is a decline of 98% from 125,000 pairs in 1970.

The survey found that the Turle Dove is now concentrated in south-eastern and eastern England, and as far north as Yorkshire.

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Do birds hibernate?

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Do birds hibernate?

Hibernation is a state when animals sleep during winter, especially where the winters are extremely cold and/or snowy. Not all animals hibernate. Animals such as bears, squirrels, bats, and hedgehogs hibernate. Some lizards and snakes hibernate.

When these animals hibernate, they will eat a lot of food and gain body weight beforehand to enable them to sleep throughout the winter. For example, squirrels can gain 50% of their body weight before hibernating. 

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Burmese Python

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The Burmese Python (Python bivittatus) is a non-venomous constrictor snake and a reptile.

The Burmese Python is a dark-coloured snake with many brown markings on its back. It has a clearly defined large head with dark eyes. It can also be albino (no pigmentation) or leucistic (partial pigmentation), and can look caramel, whitish, or yellowish. Albino pythons have pink eyes, but leucistic pythons have brown eyes.

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Fish Migration: Anadromous and Catadromous

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Fish Migration: Anadromous and Catadromous

There are two main categories of fish migration for breeding.

Anadromous fish migration is the travel from saltwater oceans to breed in freshwater rivers. Salmon, bass, and lamprey undertake this type of migration.

Catadromous fish migration is the travel from freshwater rivers to breed in saltwater oceans. Eels undertake this type of migration.

 

Immigrant, Emigrant, and Migrant

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What’s the difference between immigrant, emigrant, and migrant?

An immigrant animal is an animal that moves to, or travels to, another country to stay permanently. It becomes established in an area where it was previously unknown. The immigrant country is the country of the animal’s destination.

An emigrant animal is an animal that has left a country that was previously their habitat, usually permanently. The emigrant country is the country that the animal was from.

A migrant animal is an animal that moves from one country, region, or area to another (for breeding, food, safety, etc.) temporarily or permanently. The migrant is the actual animal. It is the mover.

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Black Kite and Yellow-Billed Black Kite: what’s the difference?

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The Black Kite (Milvus migrans) is a common medium-sized African raptor – a bird of prey. It is commonly found in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Black Kite has brown feathers, dark brown eyes, and a slightly forked tail. It has yellow feet with black talons (claws).

The subspecies Milvus migrans parasitus has a yellow bill, and is often called the Yellow-Billed Black Kite. It is a resident raptor, living in the region all year round.

The subspecies Milvus migrans migrans has a black beak with a yellow cere (ridge between the beak and the feathers). It is a migratory Black Kite that visits the region between October and March. Continue reading “Black Kite and Yellow-Billed Black Kite: what’s the difference?” →

Common Zebra

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The Common Zebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchellii) is also known as the Plains Zebra or Burchell’s Zebra. It is common in the treeless plains of East Africa to almost southern Africa. It is an ungulate (a hoofed mammal).

The Common Zebra is like a horse or pony with short legs, and is black and white striped. The stripes continue all the way to its hooves. No two zebras are alike, as they all have slightly different markings. Its nose is grey to black.

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What’s the difference between Swans: Bewick’s Tundra Swan and the Mute Swan?

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The Bewick’s Tundra Swan is smaller than the Mute Swan.

The Bewick’s Tundra Swan has a more rounded head shape than the Mute Swan.

The Bewick’t Tundra Swan has a yellow eye-ring and the yellow of its beak extends to the forehead.

The Mute Swan has black towards it eyes and the black of its beak extends to the forehead.

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Bewick’s Tundra Swan

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The Bewick’s Tundra Swan (Cygnus bewickii) is a bird in the Anatidae family of swans. It is a smaller Eurasian waterfowl than the Mute Swan. 

It is white with a yellow and black beak, a yellow eye-ring, and a rounded head. It has dark-grey legs.

The Bewick’s Tundra Swan can grow to 115-140 centimetres (45-55 inches) tall.

It lives in Europe and into southern Russia and China. It is a migratory bird, flying to warmer climates in winter in a V-formation flock.

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