We finally know how migrating birds learn in the air

Researchers have for the first time tried to understand how behaviour of migratory birds is shaped which eventually helps them in devising better migratory strategies as they cover vast stretches around countries and at times even continents.

Scientists from the University of Wyoming and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior tracked 250 white storks spread across five breeding areas in southern Germany and Austria between 2013 and 2020.

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The study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that apart from genetics and social behaviour, individual experiences also shape migratory movements, confirming that experiential learning is an important part of successful migration.

“As the birds age and gain more experience, older individuals stop exploring new places and instead move more quickly and directly, resulting in greater energy expenditure during migratory flight. During spring migration, individuals innovated novel shortcuts during the transition from early life into adulthood, suggesting a reliance on spatial memory acquired through learning,” says lead author Ellen Aikens.

The tracking data not only showed the migration pathways of the storks but also measured the timing and pace of individual storks as well as estimating the amount of energy storks used while flying.

Analysis revealed that while young storks took their time exploring new places during migration, their migrations become faster as they age. They straightened their migration routes to find more direct ways to move between destinations during the spring migration to summer breeding and nesting grounds.

“The landscapes that animals move through are complex and dynamic, requiring that migrants learn where and when favourable conditions that facilitate movement occur and how to exploit them efficiently,” researchers wrote.

While culturally inherited information among animals plays a key role, the new study confirms that individual experiences are another key factor in shaping behaviours and strategies.

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