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Revision as of 02:49, 24 September 2021
Skill Level
1
Year
2021
Version
23.11.2024
Approval authority
North American Division
1
The dictionary definition of migration is the seasonal movement of animals from one place to another. It can also be the movement of people from one place to another, though not necessarily seasonally.
It is important to remember that migration is different than an animal simply moving around. After all, a migration may be only a few feet for some animals. The difference is that a migrating animal usually moves into a different environment for a specific purpose, be it food, a mate, a change in temperature, etc., while an animal that is simply moving around, typically doesn't have a reason to move outside of its current environment.
Humans have known about migration for many thousands of years. However, they did not know much about it except through observation of the animals from the places they lived, giving them only a partial understanding about what migration is. They could see that the birds or game animals would leave at a specific time each year and would return the next year. Much of the time, they did not know where the animals were going, or what made them go, coming up with extraordinary stories to try and explain the patterns. One exception was the Native Americans, who were experts at knowing the patterns of the animals they hunted. Many tribes relied on hunting these animals and would follow them in their migrations each year. However, most migrating animals, such as birds and some insects, were too fast for people to follow, and their migrations went without much study for many years.
Once global travel became achievable, scientists were able to figure out where the migrating animals were going. With the fairly recent invention of tracking tags and devices, scientists are now able to even track these animals remotely, learning their patterns and their destinations.
2
Animals migrate primarily to find food and water, often because they live in seasonal areas that don’t have food or water year-round, which forces them to relocate before they are at risk of death by starvation or thirst. They may also migrate to avoid the cold, which they may not be capable of surviving, or to find better grounds for reproduction.
3
Scientists don’t fully understand this. They can only guess how so many animals decide to migrate at the same time, even though they may be continents apart. It may have something to do with the length of the day, the temperature, or something that we don’t know about yet!
Scientists do know that some animals can use the magnetic field of the earth to find their way, similar to having a built-in compass. Most travel to the same place each year, so they might use landmarks that they remember from year to year to help guide them back. Regardless, God cares for even the least of His creatures, and telling them when to migration is one of the ways that He cares for them!
4
4a
Selasphorus rufus
Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)
Where found: Western rufous hummingbirds migrate through the Rocky Mountains and nearby lowlands during May to September to take advantage of the wildflower season. They may stay in one local region for the entire summer, in which case the migrants, like breeding birds, often aggressively take over and defend feeding locations. Most winter in wooded areas in the Mexican state of Guerrero, traveling over 2,000 mi (3,200 km) by an overland route from its nearest summer home – a prodigious journey for a bird weighing only 3 to 4 g.
Branta canadensis
Canadian Goose (Branta canadensis)
Where found: This species is native to North America. It breeds in Canada and the northern United States in a wide range of habitats. Canada geese are known for their seasonal migrations. Most Canada geese have staging or resting areas where they join up with others. Their autumn migration can be seen from September to the beginning of November. The early migrants have a tendency to spend less time at rest stops and go through the migration much faster. The later birds usually spend more time at rest stops. Some geese return to the same nesting ground year after year and lay eggs with their mate, raising them in the same way each year. This is recorded from the many tagged geese which frequent the East Coast. Canada geese fly in a distinctive V-shaped flight formation, with an altitude of 1 km (3,280 feet) for migration flight. The maximum flight ceiling of Canada geese is unknown, but they have been reported at 9 km (29,000 feet). Flying in the V formation has been the subject of study by researchers. The front position is rotated since flying in front consumes the most energy.
Turdus migratorius
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Where found: This bird breeds throughout most of North America, from Alaska and Canada southward to northern Florida and Mexico. While robins occasionally overwinter in the northern part of the United States and southern Canada, most migrate to winter south of Canada from Florida and the Gulf Coast to central Mexico, as well as along the Pacific Coast. Most depart south by the end of August and begin to return north in February and March (exact dates vary with latitude and climate). The distance by which robins migrate varies significantly depending on their initial habitat; a study found that individual robins tagged in Alaska are known to travel as much as 3.5x further across seasons than robins tagged in Massachusetts.
Sterna paradisaea
Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)
Where found: The Arctic tern is famous for its migration; it flies from its Arctic breeding grounds to the Antarctic and back again each year, the shortest distance between these areas being 19,000 km (12,000 mi). The long journey ensures that this bird sees two summers per year and more daylight than any other creature on the planet.
4b
Oncorhynchus nerka
Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
Where found: Sockeye salmon range as far south as the Columbia River in the eastern Pacific (although individuals have been spotted as far south as the 10 Mile River on the Mendocino Coast of California) and in northern Hokkaidō Island in Japan in the western Pacific. They range as far north as the Bathurst Inlet in the Canadian Arctic in the east and the Anadyr River in Siberia in the west. The farthest inland sockeye salmon travel is to Redfish Lake, Idaho, over 1,400 km (900 mi) from the ocean and 2,000 m (6,500 ft) in elevation. Sockeye salmon exhibit many different life histories with the majority being anadromous where the juvenile salmon migrate from freshwater lakes and streams to the ocean before returning as adults to their natal freshwater to spawn.
Entosphenus tridentatus
Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus)
Where found: The Pacific lamprey is an anadromous parasitic lamprey from the Pacific Coast of North America and Asia. Pacific lampreys grow to about 80 cm (31 in) as adults. Although the adult and juvenile stages are more noticeable, lampreys spend the majority of their lives as larvae (ammocoetes). Ammocoetes live in fresh water for many years (usually 3–7 years, but at least one species has been recorded for +17 years). After the larval period, the ammocoetes undergo metamorphosis and take on the juvenile/adult body morphology. Juveniles/adults have a jawless, sucker-like mouth that allows them to become parasitic on other fish and sperm whales, attaching themselves with their suckers and feeding on blood and body fluids. The adults live at least one to two years in the ocean and then return to fresh water to spawn. After spawning, the adults usually die within four days. Also, like salmon, the Pacific lamprey does not feed while migrating to spawn.
Carcharodon carcharias
Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Where found: Great white sharks live in almost all coastal and offshore waters which have water temperature between 12 and 24 °C (54 and 75 °F). One of the densest-known populations is found around Dyer Island, South Africa. According to a recent study, California great whites have migrated to an area between Baja California Peninsula and Hawaii known as the White Shark Café to spend at least 100 days before migrating back to Baja. Another white shark that was tagged off the South African coast swam to the southern coast of Australia and back within the year. A similar study tracked a different great white shark from South Africa swimming to Australia's northwestern coast and back, a journey of 20,000 km (12,000 mi; 11,000 nmi) in under nine months. The reasons for their migration and what they do at their destination is still unknown. Possibilities include seasonal feeding or mating.
Anguilla rostrata
American Eel (Anguilla rostrata)
Where found: The distribution of the American eel encompasses all accessible freshwater (streams and lakes), estuaries and coastal marine waters across a latitudinal range of 5 to 62 N. Their natural range includes the eastern North Atlantic Ocean coastline from Venezuela to Greenland and including Iceland. Inland, this species extends into the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. The American eel's complex life history begins far offshore in the Sargasso Sea. From there, young eels drift with ocean currents and then migrate inland into streams, rivers and lakes. This journey may take many years to complete with some eels travelling as far as 6,000 kilometers. After reaching these freshwater bodies they feed and mature for approximately 10 to 25 years before migrating back to the Sargasso Sea in order to complete their life cycle.
4c
Odocoileus virginianus
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Where found: The white-tailed deer is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, Ecuador, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. In North America, the species is widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains as well as in southwestern Arizona and most of Mexico, except Lower California. Climate change is affecting the white tailed deer by changing their migration patterns and increasing their population size. This species of deer is restricted from moving northward due to cold harsh winters. Consequently, as climate change warms up the Earth, these deer are allowed to migrate further north which will result in the populations of the white-tailed deer increasing.
Bison bison
American Bison (Bison bison)
Where found: The American bison or simply bison, also commonly known as the American buffalo or simply buffalo, is an American species of bison that once roamed North America in vast herds. It nearly became extinct by a combination of commercial hunting and slaughter in the 19th century. Recovery efforts expanded in the mid-20th century, with a resurgence to roughly 31,000[5] wild bison today, largely restricted to a few national parks and reserves. Through multiple reintroductions, the species is now also freely roaming wild in some regions in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with it also being introduced to Yakutia in Russia. Bison are nomadic migrators, and historically would travel in herds of thousands to millions of animals, following the grazing patterns. Nowadays, their limited numbers make it less necessary for them to migrate.
Connochaetes taurinus
Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)
Where found: Wildebeest inhabit the plains and open woodlands of parts of Africa south of the Sahara. Each year, some East African populations of blue wildebeest have a long-distance migration, seemingly timed to coincide with the annual pattern of rainfall and grass growth. The timing of their migrations in both the rainy and dry seasons can vary considerably (by months) from year to year. At the end of the wet season (May or June in East Africa), wildebeest migrate to dry-season areas in response to a lack of drinking water. When the rainy season begins again (months later), animals quickly move back to their wet-season ranges. Factors suspected to affect migration include food abundance, surface water availability, predators, and phosphorus content in grasses.
Aeorestes cinereus
Hoary Bat (Aeorestes cinereus)
Where found: The Hoary Bat lives throughout most of North America and much of South America, with populations in the Galápagos Islands and Hawaii. Hoary bats are long-distance migrants, spending the winter in Central America and the southwestern United States and the spring and summer in more northern latitudes in the United States and Canada.
4d
Danaus plexippus
Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Where found: In the Americas, the monarch ranges from southern Canada through northern South America. It has also been found in Bermuda, Cook Islands, Hawaii, Cuba, and other Caribbean islands, the Solomons, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Australia, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Madeira, continental Portugal, Gibraltar, the Philippines, and Morocco. It appears in the UK in some years as an accidental migrant. In North America, monarchs migrate both north and south on an annual basis, in a long-distance journey that is fraught with risks. The population east of the Rocky Mountains attempts to migrate to the sanctuaries of the Mariposa Monarca Biosphere Reserve in the Mexican state of Michoacán and parts of Florida. The western population tries to reach overwintering destinations in various coastal sites in central and southern California. The overwintered population of those east of the Rockies may reach as far north as Texas and Oklahoma during the spring migration. The second, third and fourth generations return to their northern locations in the United States and Canada in the spring. Monarchs from the eastern US generally migrate longer distances than monarchs from the western US.
Locusta migratoria
Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria)
Where found: The migratory locust, sometimes classified into up to 10 subspecies, swarms in Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, but has become rare in Europe. These insects can form swarms numbering into the billions, eating everything in their path. Their migration patter primarily depends on the food supply, constant movement being necessary due to the huge amounts of vegetation consumed by the swarm. Their migration is relatively nomadic, settling wherever food is available.
Anax junius
Green Darner Dragonfly (Anax junius)
Where found: One of the most common and abundant species throughout North America, it also ranges south to Panama. It is well known for its great migration distance from the northern United States south into Texas and Mexico.
Vanessa cardui
Painted Lady Butterfly (Vanessa cardui)
Where found: V. cardui is one of the most widespread of all butterflies, found on every continent except Antarctica and South America. V. cardui occurs in any temperate zone, including mountains in the tropics. The species is resident only in warmer areas, but migrates in spring, and sometimes again in autumn. It migrates from North Africa and the Mediterranean to Britain and Europe in May and June, and from the Red Sea basin, via Israel and Cyprus, to Turkey in March and April. The occasional autumn migration made by V. cardui is likely for the inspection of resource changes; it consists of a round trip from Europe to Africa.
4e
Rana temporaria
European Common Frog (Rana temporaria)
Where found: Common frogs are found throughout much of Europe as far north as northern Scandinavia inside the Arctic Circle and as far east as the Urals, except for most of Iberia, Southern Italy, and the southern Balkans. Other areas where the common frog has been introduced include the Isle of Lewis, Shetland, Orkney and the Faroe Islands. It is also found in Asia, and eastward to Japan. Common frogs typically hibernate from late October to January. They will re-emerge as early as February if conditions are favorable, and migrate to bodies of water such as garden ponds to spawn. Where conditions are harsher, such as in the Alps, they emerge as late as early June.
Bufo bufo
Common Toad (Bufo bufo)
Where found: The common toad is the fourth most common amphibian in Europe.It is found throughout the continent with the exception of Iceland, the cold northern parts of Scandinavia, Ireland and a number of Mediterranean islands. It is largely found in forested areas with coniferous, deciduous and mixed woodland, especially in wet locations. It also inhabits open countryside, fields, copses, parks and gardens, and often occurs in dry areas well away from standing water. Many toads are killed by traffic while migrating to their breeding grounds. In Europe they have the highest rate of mortality from roadkill among amphibians. Many of the deaths take place on stretches of road where streams flow underneath showing that migration routes often follow water courses. In some places in Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Northern Italy and Poland, special tunnels have been constructed so that toads can cross under roads in safety. In other places, local wildlife groups run "toad patrols", carrying the amphibians across roads at busy crossing points in buckets.
Lithobates sylvaticus
Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus)
Where found: The contiguous wood frog range is from northern Georgia and northeastern Canada in the east to Alaska and southern British Columbia in the west. It is the most widely distributed frog in Alaska. It is also found in the Medicine Bow National Forest. Long-distance migration plays an important role in their life history. Individual wood frogs range widely (hundreds of meters) among their breeding pools and neighboring freshwater swamps, cool-moist ravines, and/or upland habitats. Genetic neighborhoods of individual pool breeding populations extend more than a kilometer away from the breeding site. Adult wood frogs spend summer months in moist woodlands, forested swamps, ravines, or bogs. During the fall, they leave summer habitats and migrate to neighboring uplands to overwinter.
Anaxyrus americanus
Eastern American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)
Where found: The American toad is a common species of toad found throughout Canada and the eastern United States. Often entire groups of tadpoles reach the toadlet stage at once and a mass migration to higher ground takes place usually to shaded areas of mid range and upland forests bordering the marshes from where they bred.
4f
Chelonia mydas
Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Where found: Since green sea turtles are a migrating species, their global distribution spans into the open ocean. Green sea turtles migrate long distances between feeding sites and nesting sites; some swim more than 2,600 kilometers (1,600 mi) to reach their spawning grounds. Beaches in Southeast Asia, India, islands in the western Pacific, and Central America are where green sea turtles breed. Mature turtles often return to the exact beach from which they hatched.
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Water Moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
Where found: Also commonly known as a cottonmouth snake, the water moccasin, native to the southeaster United States, is one of the few snakes that has been reported to take part in a mass migration, traveling overland to their hibernation grounds before winter.
Caretta caretta
Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Where found: The loggerhead sea turtle has a wide distribution, nesting over the broadest geographical range of any sea turtle. It inhabits the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. Pacific loggerheads live in temperate to tropical regions. The turtles are transported by the prevailing currents across the full length of the northern Pacific, one of the longest migration routes of any marine animal.
4g
Gecarcoidea natalis
Christmas Island Red Crab (Gecarcoidea natalis)
Where found: For most of the year, red crabs can be found within Christmas Islands' forests. Each year, however, they migrate to the coast to breed; the beginning of the wet season (usually October/November) allows the crabs to increase their activity and stimulates their annual migration. The timing of their migration is also linked to the phases of the moon. During this migration, red crabs abandon their burrows and travel to the coast to mate and spawn. This normally requires at least a week.
Paralithodes camtschaticus
Red King Crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus)
Where found: The red king crab is native to the Bering Sea, North Pacific Ocean, around the Kamchatka Peninsula and neighboring Alaskan waters. The depth at which it can live has much to do with what stage of its lifecycle it is in; newly hatched crab (zoea larvae) stay in the shallower waters where food and protection are plentiful. Usually, after the age of two, the crabs move down to depths of 20–50 m (66–164 ft) and take part in what is known as podding; hundreds of crabs come together in tight, highly concentrated groups. Adult crabs are found usually more than 200 m down on the sand and muddy areas in the substrate. They migrate in the winter or early spring to shallower depths for mating, but most of their lives are spent in the deep waters where they feed.
Euphausia superba
Antarctic Krill (Euphausia superba)
Where found: Antarctic krill is a species of krill found in the Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean. It is the dominant animal species of Earth. It is a small, swimming crustacean that lives in large schools, called swarms, sometimes reaching densities of 10,000–30,000 individual animals per cubic meter. Antarctic krill, as with other species of krill, participate in a unique type of migration known as a diurnal vertical migration, in which the animals move to shallower water to feed before returning to the relative safety of the depths. Krill are thought to undergo between one and three vertical migrations from mixed surface waters to depths of 100m daily.
5
Migrating animals face hungry predators, a scarcity of food or water, natural dangers such as storms, and difficult terrain such as mountains and cliffs. Many animals, especially aquatic animals, are easily harmed by manmade obstacles such as dams and turbines, or by pollution.
6
A complete migration occurs when an animal migrates to a new location and back again. An example of this would be Canadian Geese, who fly south for the winter, then back north for the summer. Not all animals will complete an entire complete migration alone though, as in the case of the Monarch Butterfly. The insect migrates to the new location where it breeds, lays its eggs, and dies. Once the eggs hatch, the new Monarchs fly back to their parent’s birthplace where they breed, lay their own eggs, and die.
Partial migrations occur when not all of the animals of a specific species migrate. For example, some birds of prey don’t migrate when the others in the same species do. Nomadic migrations don’t tend to have a specific end goal. In other words, while a complete or partial migration usually begins and ends in the same relative area, a nomadic migration involves traveling in no particular direction, but simply following the food! An example is the American Bison, who lives in massive herds which can easily demolish all the food in an area. Hence, they are nomadic migrators, moving wherever the food can be found.
7
In the past, humans would use the consistency of an animal’s migration to plan hunting and trapping methods. Today, infrastructure, including roads, dams, and fences can hinder or completely block off animal migration routes. For example, deer fences are often erected to keep deer and antelope off of farm lands, or around railroad lines to keep them off the tracks. However, these fences can also prevent the animals from using their migration routes.
Another example of this may be the construction of roads across migration routes. While large animals crossing the roads may be a danger to drivers, not to mention the animals themselves, smaller animals such as migrating frogs, rodents, and earthbound insects may find these to be an even greater hazard, as they are not capable of getting out of the way as easily. A common solution is to provide alternative routes for the animals to use in their migration routes. This might be a tunnel under a road or an opening under a railroad bridge that the animals can get through.
One of the most well-known problems regarding migration is the problem that dams create for migrating fish, especially to and from their breeding grounds. Dams have made an obstruction that have blocked this migration, often resulting in the extinction of various species of fish from portions of their natural habitat. In fact, the problem has been severe enough that many dams have been taken down to help reintroduce the fish to their natural habitats. A solution that has been used in many dams and waterway obstructions is a fish ladder or fish steps, a series of basins arranged in steps that allow the fish jump from one to another and bypass the obstacle. While the results are not always the most promising, it is a great demonstration of the effort that people have made to correct the problems they have caused migrating animals.
8
- a. Common name and scientific name
- b. Migration route (draw a diagram of the route taken and the estimated number in the migration)
- c. Migration distance
- d. Reasons for migration
Creatively present what you have discovered.
9
A lot of migration tracking is done through GPS. An animal gets caught, a GPS collar or tag is attached to it, and it is released, the GPS system sending out signals to satellites which are then collected in a computer. Bird bands are also useful. A bird is caught and the band is wrapped around its leg. Then it is released and free to go on its way until caught again later, hopefully at the other end of its migration, to track how long it took for it to travel. Scientists also use stickers, radio collars, and trail cameras to help track migrations.
10
Humans also migrate, but not usually the same way. For example, most people don’t make a yearly trip south so that they can find food! (Some people, affectionately called Snow Birds, head down south for the winter to follow the sunshine). Most human migrations are due to significant events that affect large numbers of people. For example, between 1845 and 1855, the Irish Potato Blight caused over a million Irish citizens to immigrate to America looking for better living circumstances. Other groups immigrate looking for work, such as many people from central to south America. Still others migrate to escape war, and others are forced, either expelled from their country for being a part of an ethnic group, or enslaved and shipped away. They are similar to animal migrations in that the factors that cause them to migrate typically affect a huge group of people, causing them to move at the same time. However, it doesn’t usually happen yearly, and many of them never return.
11
Many migrations are recorded in the Bible! Abraham's whole life was one of migrating to and fro, following God's direction. The Israelites migrated out of Egypt and after rebelling against God for hundreds of years, they were captured by Nebuchadnezzar and carried off to Babylon. After seventy years, the Babylonian king released them, and they migrated back home again. Joseph, Noah, the first Christians, and even Jesus took part in Biblical migrations. What was the purpose of each migration?
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11b
11c
11d
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11f
11g
11h
12
12a
12b
12c
12d
If you are planning to visit a zoo or aquarium, be aware that there are various honors that have requirements which can be met by visiting a zoo or aquarium. Individuals can work on multiple honors in one visit, or parts of your group may work on different honors during the same visit.
Here is a list of honors which have requirements that can be met by visiting a zoo or aquarium:
12e
12f
