How many kilometers do you expect your car will log in the next 10 years? 100,000? 200,000? More? Compare that to an osprey, which may fly more than 250,000 km in its lifetime as it migrates from its summer family home to a warm winter vacation spot, and then back again every year!
Morven’s migration from Mauritania to Scotland is monitored by the Highland Foundation for Wildlife
Ospreys are found on every continent except Antarctica, and the majority of them migrate seasonally. Ospreys that summer on the west coast of North America, will travel down to Central or South America in the fall. Those on the east coast will head down to Florida or much further, to countries like Brazil. Ospreys in the UK migrate to Africa for the winter, to countries like Senegal. There are populations of ospreys in Australia, Florida and Corsica that stay put year-round.
Keep on the lookout now – ospreys are due to arrive in Alberta in the next three or four weeks. They will arrive separately, as males and females take separate winter vacations. During the migration, an osprey will stop over in favourite places to rest for a few days and fish. Long distance flying takes a lot of energy! This satellite image shows the spring and autumn migration routes for an osprey named Morven, as she travels between Scotland and Mauritania, a distance of over 4,000 km (2,500 miles).
Do you have a navigation system in your car? Ospreys do too – in their heads! They don’t migrate as a group, so young ones don’t learn the route from their parents. It must be scary for the osprey leaving home, all alone, to travel thousands of kilometers to a place he’s never been before, after he has just learned how to fly.
So how do they do it? Scientists believe ospreys use many different navigation methods. Some studies have shown that they rely on star patterns and the position of the sun, kind of like ancient explorers did. Other studies show ospreys use the earth’s magnetic forces to guide them. Most certainly, trial and error play a large role. Once a bird migrates successfully to its winter hotspot and back again to nest, its internal navigation system appears to be set, making the trip much easier the next time.
Click here for an interactive map that shows the migration routes of several birds as they travel north from South America to the eastern US, near Martha’s Vineyard.
Of course, not every bird survives the trip. One of the greatest dangers an osprey faces is bad weather when crossing large bodies of water. A storm may blow her off course. High winds may exhaust her. Without heavily-oiled feathers and webbed feet, she can’t rest in the water to ride out the storm like a gull. I included the video below in a post last September, but it’s a really good example of an eagle attempting to swim to shore – or to a helpful fisherman for rescue.
So when you see the ospreys arrive this spring, stop for a minute to consider where he came from, and forgive him if he looks a little tired.
