'Amazing' songbird migration patterns

Songbirds fly faster and further than anyone has realised, according to scientists who have tracked their migration routes for the first time. The researchers said they were "flabbergasted" by the findings, which will help biologists predict how climate change and habitat loss will affect the birds.Songbirds are the most common type of bird, but until now little has been known about their annual journeys because they are too small to carry satellite-tracking devices. Instead, the scientists strapped tiny backpacks that record sunrise and sunset times onto wood thrushes and purple martins, and this data allowed them to plot the birds' flights between Pennsylvania and South America.The researchers found the birds could fly more than 300 miles per day. In contrast, previous studies had put their daily range at under 100 miles per day. The study also discovered that the birds flew much faster on their journey home in spring: one...

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