Masters of flight: Songbirds make massive migration journey at top speeds
Thursday, February 12, 2009 - 20:14
in Earth & Climate
In the midst of a brutal winter, it makes sense that anyone would want to head south asap, including, it seems, some common American songbirds, which new research shows zip to winter hotspots far speedier than previously believed. Researchers report in Science today that, for the first time, they were able to map the entire flights – some of which are more than 4,600 miles – of wood thrush and purple martins from their summer North American breeding grounds to their winter homes in balmy South and Central America. [More]