• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

migrant behaviour (1 Viewer)

colonelboris

Right way up again
Does anyone know if there are many species with marked differences in behaviour between their summer and winter grounds?

For all I know, nightingales could be tame as anything when wintering in Africa and only shy when they get here.

I know that some birds don't normally flock together in the summer, but do for winter forays (waxwings, etc), but I just wondered if there was anything more intersting than that.
 
There are differences in most migrant birds, not only at the destination points, but also during migration. I can give you a couple of examples from Tobago. The Northern Waterthrush is highly teritorial in it's breeding grounds throughout Northern North America, yet at wintering grounds here the birds gather at dusk to bathe in small groups. Juvenile Osprey which are known to feed almost entirely on fish, spend thier first three years regularly hunting birds over mangrove and suburban area's. Also remember that the birds entire lifestyle changes during migration, where body mass is built up for the long nightly journeys that the birds take.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 18 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top