With the arrival of spring, we look forward to the return of hundreds of species of migratory songbirds from their wintering grounds.
With the arrival of spring, we look forward to the return of hundreds of species of migratory songbirds from their wintering grounds.
Sparrows, swallows, warblers and thrushes, among other songbirds, will return from their wintering sites anywhere between the southern United States and distant South America.
Some of these birds will return with a small “backpack” that has recorded their entire migration from their North American breeding grounds to their wintering grounds and back.
Birds provide important ecosystem services, such as preying on insects, dispersing seeds, scavenging carcasses and pollinating plants. Unfortunately, there have been dramatic declines in many migratory songbirds over the past few decades, with some of these populations dropping by more than 80 per cent.
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