The Weirdly Different Styles of Bird Migration

Illustration Courtesy Audubon; Illustrator Liz Wahid

Not all birds migrate. But of the roughly 40% who do, different species migrate in different ways, at different times and different distances. Some birds like Bar-tailed Godwits repeatedly set records for the longest sustained flight without any stops – now over 9 days from Alaska to New Zealand! Northern Bobwhites migrate up and down a mountain to keep up with food sources. Some bird migrations include extremely long taxing flights, others might even be done on foot, by swimming, or… well check out this interactive article from Audubon and see for yourself!