As the nights turn cold and the number of daylight hours lessen, be on the lookout. The woods, fields, and even our yards are being visited by birds who are ready to head home for the winter. This is the time of year to watch for those birds that have spent the summer raising young among an abundance of space and food. But cooler temperatures means less food, so warblers, sparrows, buntings, wrens, blackbirds, ducks, and many more types of birds are on their way. Those migrators come from throughout the state and from Canada. And how far they travel depends on which species they are. Some only need to go as far as the southern U.S., while others continue on to Central America or all the way to southern South America. And some, coming from Canada or northern Minnesota, will stop here - we're "south" for them! (More about them later - once they'ver arrived in late September.)
We tend to think of migrating birds going south as "visitors" because here - the north - is their "real" home. But that's not the case - they are actually visiting during the months we see them here in the north. They come to breed and once that's completed, it's time to head home - south. Food will be available even if space is limited. Isn't that just like human guests - hang around until the food's gone and then leave?!
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