The results of a large number of studies of migratory birds showed that the timing of their spring migration over the past fifty years has changed, the birds began to fly in and out earlier. Scientists studied blue-backed forest singers who migrate from Canada and the United States to Central America, and then back every year. Research results have been recorded for fifty years. This made it possible to establish that poorly studied models of autumn bird migration change over time.
Ongoing research
Kristen Covino of Loyola Marymount University and her colleagues used data from the U.S. Geological Survey laboratory on bird migration between 1965 and 2015. Throughout the United States, researchers who study this issue catch migratory birds, collect data about them and put metal rings on their feet with unique codes to identify birds if they are caught again.
Results Analysis
After studying more than 150 thousand records, Kovino and her team found that the timing of spring migration of birds has changed over the past fifty years, with birds starting to arrive one day earlier every ten years. It is important to note that the data also covered autumn migration, which today is not well studied. Scientists have discovered that autumn migration also began a little earlier than in past decades.
“The bird watching program provides a wealth of data that is of great importance in studying the behavior of birds. Since 1960, more than 38 million individuals have been studied. We wanted to use a large-scale approach for this study, as well as compare the results with data from a bird research laboratory. We have chosen such birds that can easily determine gender and age. This means that the data received about them will be accurate, ”says Kovino.
