03 The Migration of Birds

As the seasons change, some animals migrate, or move from one place to another. Birds are very good at migrating because they can fly! Some birds travel only a few hundred kilometres, while others travel many thousands of kilometres. The Arctic tern travels the longest distance. It leaves its nesting place in the Arctic and migrates to Antarctica. That's a trip of over 16000 kilometres!

The main reason birds leave their habitats and migrate is to go where food will be when the season changes. When fall comes to the north, the days get shorter and the flowers and insects disappear. Birds feed on nectar, berries, seeds, and insects, so they need a new supply of food. They head south where it is warmer and the days are longer. Some birds live in wet habitats like rivers and lakes. These bodies of water dry up at certain times of year. When this happens, these birds migrate.

Birds don't stay in the south all the time because the north is a better place for them to reproduce and raise their young. There are also fewer predators in the north. Birds return in the spring because plants start growing again. There are also more daylight hours in the summer months, which means there is more time to fi nd food

Word List

migrate : travel from one place to another when the seasons change

predator : an animal that hunts other animals for food

You Practice

I. Answer the following questions.

1) Why are birds better than other animals at migrating?

2) What is the main reason that birds migrate?

3) Which bird travels the furthest to migrate?

4) Why do birds return to the north in the spring?

5) What kinds of food do birds mostly eat?

II. What's the word? Using the clues, write the correct words from the reading.

1) a kind of bird: A _ _ _ _ _ t _ _ _

2) a kind of fruit: b _ _ _ _ _ _

3) the bottom of the world: A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4) a body of water: r _ _ _ _

5) to have babies: r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

III. Read these sentences carefully. Write Yes or No for each one.

____ 1) All birds migrate to Antarctica.

____ 2) The north has more daylight hours than the south in summer.

____ 3) Birds are the only animals that migrate.

____ 4) Birds sometimes migrate because their habitat becomes too wet.

____ 5) The Arctic does not have much food for birds in winter.