Friday, October 9th, 2009

Tracking Bird Migration

David Bonter, of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and vice president of the Braddock Bay Bird Observatory, took us to Braddock Bay to learn how to band birds. Watch Bonter put a tiny aluminum bracelet on a swamp sparrow. (Credits: Produced by Flora Lichtman) See More Videos

The weather's getting chilly, and birds up north are embarking on their yearly trek down to warmer climes. Geese head south for the winter, and each spring the swallows return to Capistrano - but how? Some species of birds undertake multi-thousand mile journeys, stopping off at key locations along their routes. In this hour, we'll talk about how birds make their migratory journeys, and how scientists are trying to study their travels. We'll take a look at how some birds use magnetic fields as flight maps, and how scientists track their routes -- with radar, sound, heat sensing, and even telescopes aimed at the moon. We're broadcasting from Ithaca, New York this week, as the guests of WEOS. Tune in!