About this episode
In September, this Arctic Tern flies from Alaska all the way to Antarctica. Rufous Hummingbirds follow pathways of mountain wildflowers, from as far north as Alaska south to Mexico. Ruby-crowned Kinglets, migrate attitudinally from the mountains to the lowlands. Each of these birds migrates, but on a very different course. All make the most of food and breeding opportunities that change with the seasons.
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BirdNote Daily — Migration: Long, Short, and In-Between. Machine-transcribed; use the interactive transcript above to jump the player to any line.
0:00This is Bird Note. In September, Arctic turns fly south over the ocean from Alaska all the way to Antarctica. Also in September, the last Rufus hummingbirds depart their breeding range in the west, following floral highways of mountain wildflowers south to Mexico. Ruby Crowned Kinglets are leaving the northern evergreen forests where they nest on their way to mild climates. Each of these birds is migrating but on a very different course. All have the same adaptive goal, making the most of food and breeding opportunities that change with the seasons. Arctic turns follow one of the longest annual migrations traveling as much as 44,000 miles each year. Arctic Tundra provides their ideal nesting site in summer, the Antarctic, the ideal feeding grounds in our winter. Rufus hummingbirds are medium-range migrants traversing about 5,000 miles a year between
1:05temperate and tropical nectar sources. Some Ruby Crowned Kinglets are altitude and all migrants, especially in the west. They may remain close to the same latitude all year but spend the cold months in the relative warmth of the lowlands, dining on insects in their eggs. In summer, you'll need to ascend thousands of feet into the western mountain ranges to hear the Kinglets exuberant song. For Bird Note, I'm Mary McCann.
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