Animals on the Move

Because they are migrating! Ask yourself the questions below, then check your answers.

What is migration?

Migrate means to move from one place to another, at certain times of the year, over several years. Scientists say this movement happens not to individual animals, but to entire species. You may have seen large flocks of birds all flying in the same direction in the spring or fall. Many species of birds migrate south for the winter to warmer climates, then migrate north in the spring and summer months.

Why do animals migrate?

Scientists don't know the exact reason for migration. The truth is different animal species have different reasons for migration - to find a better climate, to find a mate, or to find more food and water.

Where do they go?

A migration can be from tree to tree, forest to forest, mountain to valley, or country to country. Some animals migrate halfway around the globe! Most animals migrate north or south, but not all - it depends on the animal.

How far do they go?

Some animals travel extremely long distances, and others only millimeters. The Arctic tern makes the longest migration, flying about 22,000 miles each year!

How do they know where to go?

Birds use many cues to direct their flight paths, including landscape, the sun, stars, even the sound of the sea. Some animals, such as fish, navigate by using electrical currents in the water.

Some birds, such as swans and cranes, learn the way from their parents, while others such as hawks and shorebirds seem to just know where to go. We might call it an "instinct."

How many at a time?

Remember The Lion King? Some animals migrate in huge herds like the African wildebeest. Monarch butterflies migrate by the thousands! But bald eagles and hummingbirds mostly migrate alone.

Roosevelt Elk populations in the Pacific Northwest migrate UP AND DOWN, moving from low regions in winter to the mountains in summer.

The tiny calliope hummingbird - the smallest bird in North America - flies SOUTH from the Cascade Mountains all the way to Central Mexico, a distance of nearly 2,000 miles!

The sockeye salmon travels in a big EAST-WEST loop. After spending about two years feeding in the northern Pacific Ocean, they circle back to mate and lay eggs in the freshwater streams where they hatched.