How can hummingbirds make incredibly long and dangerous journeys for migration every spring and fall?
Champion Navigators Birds are champion navigators. Many species travel across entire continents. For example, bobolinks, Baltimore orioles, and ruby-throated hummingbirds are Neotropical migrants that winter in the tropics and migrate to North America to nest in spring. These birds make this journey because their favorite and necessary foods become scarce or unavailable as seasons change. For example, ruby-throated hummingbirds depend on nectar from flowers. When flowers stop blooming in Minnesota, they fly south. Some fly along the Mexican coast. Others fly across the Gulf of Mexico — up to 20 hours nonstop — to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and other countries in Central America. Dangerous Flights Many of the millions of birds that migrate each year die during their migration. Their journeys sometimes take them through strong winds, heavy rains, thunder, lightning, and even snowstorms. They might encounter various predators, from hawks to house cats. Tall buildings and wires from radio an
