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Ecology

A closer look at wildlife migration

Danny Stoner
Strawberry Hill trainee in Conservation Science

(9/2019) September - a time where summer weather slows down and begins to creep into the cooler fall weather. Take a moment to look outside and listen. There are no wild animals being born, flowers showing their brilliant colors have disappeared, there are no more frogs calling, and the pollen that makes so many of us sneeze is no longer piling on our cars. To most, things seem quiet in the temperate forests of Pennsylvania where the leaves are turning to reds and yellows in fall. However, if you look closely there is an explosion of activity.

Young and old together in massive numbers are on the move from their breeding grounds to escape the inevitable onslaught of snow that blankets the forest floor. Some of this you can see as the animals migrate in large groups during the day, while others like to travel in smaller numbers during the night. Migration is our chance to catch a glimpse at different animals and their amazing journeys.

Let us first take a look in the sky. There are two different paths for the sky, which are transcontinental and transoceanic. Transcontinental takes them over land, whereas transoceanic takes them over the ocean for one non-stop flight. Soaring high above us during the day, using updrafts of air to aid them in their flights, are the birds of prey. Broad-winged Hawks are the best of them when it comes to numbers. Thousands can fill the sky in a single day, providing a mesmerizing sight that blankets the sky. On a rare occasion one might be able to see a Golden Eagle with its brilliant golden neck, which is typically a western species, and rivals the Bald Eagle in size.

If you take a look in the trees you might catch a glimpse of small birds, songbirds, jumping from branch to branch eating all the bugs they can catch. These small birds went through a metamorphosis, or molting in bird terms, from dazzling yellows, oranges, reds, and blues that we all love to their more drab colors, which makes them all appear somewhat the same. These are a challenge and a sight to behold. Unlike the birds of prey that migrate during the day, songbirds, like warblers, migrate during the night and land to feed during the day. You may only have a single day to witness certain bird species that migrate.

Birds, of course, are not the only species that rule the sky during migration. A certain butterfly has to travel 3,000 miles from North America to Mexico in order to survive. This butterfly is the Monarch. Monarchs are one of the only butterflies to migrate and do so typically in large groups. Even though they migrate they still hibernate once they get to their wintering grounds. The most unique aspect about a monarch’s migration is that they will return to the same trees as last winter, even though they are not the same butterflies.

Flight is the best way to travel long distances quickly, but when we take a look at the ground level, some species find migration a bit too difficult. Instead, they must find other means to survive the impending winter. These animals must battle it out to store or eat as much food as they can before it is gone. This helps to build up their fat stores to keep them warm throughout the cold winter months. By doing this they are getting ready for hibernation. Hibernation is when an animal’s heart rate, breathing rate, and metabolic rate slows down to survive long periods of sleep. They only have a couple of months to do so and September is the start.

Most think of mammals as the only ones to hibernate, however there are many more that do so. Bears are one of the best examples of prime hibernators. They start by foraging for food and eating whatever they can find. Once they are filled to the brim they will search for a hibernaculum, a place that they use to hibernate in, and go into a deep slumber to wait out the winter when there is nothing to eat. They use the fat they built up as food for almost six months while they are hibernating. Once the snow and the chill of winter fades and the forests come to life, they re-emerge with offspring that are born in January.

The lesser-known hibernators are the frogs and snakes, which go through a prosses similar to hibernation called brumation. Brumation is used by cold-blooded species, and each have their own unique methods. One species of frog, the Wood Frog, will start to burrow beneath leaves to wait for the cold bite of the winter frost. When the frost penetrates deep into the ground it also penetrates into the frog and freezes it. There is no heartbeat nor breathing. Everything is still. However, there is life. The frog’s organs are intact with their natural antifreeze in the form of sugar and special cells. Once the frost thaws, so do the frogs, which hop into spring for a new start. Unlike the Wood Frog, snakes do not freeze. Snakes will go deep underground into caves or holes in large numbers to escape the cold. They don’t go in search of their own species either. All different types of species can be found within a hibernaculum huddling and waiting out the cold.

September - a time of action. Take a walk outside and if you pay close attention you will see and hear the commotion of animals scurrying around and the shadows of birds soaring above you to collect food or move south. September is the last month or so before most life in our forests takes a break or leaves for the winter, so take one last glimpse at the brilliant colors and animals that surround you, or you will have to wait out the cold just like the animals to get your next chance.

Read Other Articles by Danny Stoner

Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve and Environmental Center is a non-profit environmental education and conservation organization located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of south-central Pennsylvania in Fairfield, Pennsylvania. To learn more about all they offer, we encourage you to visit them at 1537 Mt Hope Rd, Fairfield, PA 17320, or visit them on-line at www.strawberryhill.org