Migrating bird research reported by Central Ornithology Publication Office
The central ornithology publication office reported on University of Maine researchers studying bird trade-offs during migratory flights. They need to fuel up with food as efficiently as possible, but they need to avoid predators while they do it, says the release. Graduate student Jennifer McCabe and Professor Brian Olsen spent two years capturing birds during their fall migration along the coast of Maine. Their results showed that overall, birds prefer to stop in habitats with plenty of dense vegetation to avoid predation, but the longer the migration, the more likely the bird is to take risks in order to re-fuel. The researchers published their results in the journal The Auk: Ornithological Advances. Nature World News, Phys.org and EurekaAlert carried the report.