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How do birds find their way when they migrate?
When birds migrate, they use the sun, the stars, Earth's magnetic field, and familiar landmarks like a compass.
Every year, birds fly thousands of kilometres to warm or cold places. To make sure they don't lose their way, they use more than one clue. In the daytime they look at the position of the sun, and at night they look at the position of the stars.
Their most amazing skill is being able to feel Earth's magnetic field. Birds have special cells in their eyes and beaks that work just like a compass inside them. This is how they know north from south.
Some birds also find their way by remembering mountains, rivers, and coastlines. Even young birds flying this path for the first time get it surprisingly right, because this skill is something they are born with.
Quick facts
- Some birds travel thousands of kilometres when they migrate.
- Birds can feel Earth's magnetic field.
- Birds that fly at night find their way by looking at the stars.
- Birds that fly in the daytime use the position of the sun.
- Young birds can find the right way even on their very first migration.
- Birds remember familiar landmarks like mountains and rivers.
Check what you remember
3 questions — all of them come from the quick facts above. There is no score and no wrong turn.
1. What do birds look at to find their way at night?
2. Which of Earth's features can birds feel?
3. How do young birds do on their first migration?
Where this comes from
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1 britannica.com 85/100Bird migration - Britannica
A trustworthy encyclopedia page that explains how bird migration happens.
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2 tr.wikipedia.org 80/100Bird migration - Wikipedia
An encyclopedia page that simply explains why and how birds migrate.
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3 nasa.gov 60/100NASA
An official space agency website with reliable information about Earth's magnetic field.
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