Each year, many species migrate or move from one place to another. Learn why this happens and how we can help aid animals in their migration from Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild Co-Host Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant.
How migration works
Migration occurs when an animal is lacking resources or shelter.
A great example is the migration of whales. Some oceans are better for mating, some for giving birth, some for eating and some for maintaining body temperature. Whales migrate to follow their biological needs.
In North America, many species of birds migrate, not necessarily because of a temperature shift, but because of a resource shift. Cooler temperatures mean a lack of nuts, seeds and fruit for birds to eat.
“Many of these birds, if they had food sources, they would be able to withstand low temperatures,” Dr. Rae said. “I mean it wouldn’t be any fun, but most wild animals can withstand low temperatures. It’s more about the link between temperature and the seasonality of North America.”
Where do animals go when they migrate
Though we know that some animals go to the same places every year when they migrate, scientists aren’t sure where every species migrates to.
“That’s one of the great scientific mysteries,” Dr. Rae said.
Flamingos in Florida, for example, will migrate, but scientists aren’t entirely sure where they end up, as different populations of flamingos go different places.
Some animals, such as sea turtles, will return to the same place every time. Dr. Rae theorizes that some species have a homing mechanism that returns them to the same place.
“It’s one of the reasons we fear the way humans might disrupt some of those innate characteristics in animals like the way these massive ships in the ocean disrupt some of the migration routes of whales,” Dr. Rae said. “They just want to get from point A to point B, and when that’s interrupted, it can become catastrophic.”
How human activity affects migration
“It’s not just the collisions the ships can create, but they also create these huge, deep vibrations that affect the brains of large mammals like whales,” Dr. Rae said. “There’s a lot of ways we’re disrupting things even if we’re not colliding with these animals.”
Another example is the famous migration of the monarch butterfly. Because butterflies are so small, they can’t fly too long without having to stop to eat. And when they stop to get nectar, butterflies can be harmed by pesticides used by humans.
For birds, light is a major issue in their migratory path, as it creates confusion.
“They need to understand when it’s daytime, when it’s dusk, when it’s nighttime,” Dr. Rae said. “Those cycles really matter for them, and they can be very disrupted when there’s light pollution.”
How we can help migrating animals
There are some ways we can help aid animals in migration, starting with birds and light pollution. Simply turning off your lights, using motion-sensor lights or closing your blinds can help birds. You can also use less intense or downward facing lights to decrease the amount of light shining at night.
For butterflies, protecting the migration route is key. Dr. Rae lives along their route in California; her neighborhood is helping butterflies by planting milkweed and not using pesticides.
“I’m happy to say there’s a lot of bees, a lot of pollinators around here to have this little island for some of these butterflies to land on their journey,” Dr. Rae said.
“As members of society, we can really band together and work to protect the migration routes of these animals,” Dr. Rae said.
For more on animal migration, watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild episodes, “Birds of a Feather” to see piping plover migration and “Safe Passage for Whales” to learn about whale migration.
