Happy International Migratory Bird Day!
Ruby throated hummingbird
We just love birds! Birds are pollinators (hummingbirds), seed dispersers (robins) and they help control rodent and insect populations (raptors and other birds). Some birds also travel and spend part of their year in a different habitat. This traveling is called migration. Some birds only migrate a short distance and others like the arctic tern can migrate thousands of miles.
arctic tern
Some birds like raptors migrate during the day, while others like song birds migrate at night to avoid predators. Birds use the wind, sun, land forms and the stars to help them navigate. So why do birds migrate? Birds migrate for resources; food, shelter and mating. For people who love birds, migration routes during spring and fall are great times to see birds who are just making a pit stop on their way. It is crucial for these habitats to stay so the birds have a place to rest and eat.
Sandhill crane
So what can you do to help our bird friends?
- Pick up trash! Birds often digest trash and or get entangled in it!
- Make your yard a bird friendly place- add a bird bath (that is cleaned regularly), put out bird feeders with different types of feed.
- Grab a birding guide book and learn what birds live in your area and which ones migrate through.
- Tell others about the birds that you love!
Check out Birdday.org for more great information, games and activities! Trust us- we spent loads of time on here!
We’re going to spend the day looking for birds in a park near HQs! How are you going to celebrate our feathery flying friends?
The Adventures of Ellie and Edmond 