Buzz
Birds have always been known for their migratory habits, but humans haven’t always fully understood the reasons behind their long journeys. While we could see enormous flocks soaring across the skies, the exact purpose of their migration remained a mystery. Over time, numerous intriguing theories and stories about migrating birds have surfaced.
Many of these myths were based purely on observation, and some were downright outlandish. From tales of swallows hibernating in the mud to geese supposedly flying to the Moon, let’s explore some of the most peculiar myths surrounding migrating birds, as well as some surprising truths to set the record straight.
15. The Metamorphosis of Redstarts
The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle observed that redstarts and robins never seemed to appear simultaneously. He didn't know that redstarts migrate during the winter, so he mistakenly believed that redstarts underwent a “transmutation,” or metamorphosis. He theorized that they transformed into robins during winter and reverted to redstarts come summer.
Aristotle was likely inspired by the seasonal plumage changes in other birds. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to compare the red tail of the redstart to the red breast of the robin. He also believed that garden warblers transformed into blackcaps. It's easy to forget that for people in ancient times, these observations were genuine mysteries, and they thought these theories made sense based on what they were witnessing.
14. Woodcock Pilots
Goldcrests are small, vibrant birds with a striking golden stripe on their heads. Every autumn, thousands of them journey from Scandinavia to the UK. At the same time, another bird, the woodcock, follows a similar migration route. This led some to believe that the tiny goldcrests would hitch a ride on the backs of woodcocks to cross the North Sea, assuming the goldcrests couldn’t handle the stormy crossing on their own.
In Yorkshire, goldcrests became known as “woodcock pilots” due to this belief. It’s fascinating to think that people once thought a goldcrest would ride on the back of another bird and act as its navigator.
13. Hibernating Underwater
Swallows are migratory birds that spend their summers in Europe and their winters in Africa. They can travel up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) each day, making the journey to South Africa in just five weeks. Gilbert White, an 18th-century nature writer, suggested an unusual idea: that swallows might dive underwater in September and bury themselves in the mud. At the time, it seemed unbelievable that such delicate creatures could undertake such long migrations without help, so the idea of them hibernating beneath the earth seemed more plausible.
This theory held sway for much longer than one might expect. When bird banding, also known as bird tagging or bird ringing, was introduced, it became clear that the tags were not corroding or fading, as they would have if the birds had spent the winter underwater or in the mud. This discovery finally convinced people that swallows did, in fact, migrate rather than hibernate.
12. Flying To The Moon
Perhaps the most outlandish theory comes from Charles Morton, a 17th-century English scientist. With no clear understanding of where migratory birds went, Morton proposed that they must have been leaving the Earth entirely. He speculated that these birds flew all the way to the Moon, and then returned to Earth once their journey was complete.
While many birds are capable of migrating vast distances, covering approximately 385,000 kilometers (239,000 miles) twice over, expecting them to do so without oxygen may be asking a bit much.
11. Hatching From Barnacles
Barnacle geese spend their summers in Greenland and Svalbard, then fly to the UK for milder winter temperatures. Because they don’t nest in the UK, it seemed to observers that the birds appeared seemingly out of nowhere. This led to the theory that barnacle geese actually hatched from goose barnacles. These small crustaceans attach to hard surfaces, and due to the similar black-and-white striping of both the barnacle geese and the barnacles, it was believed that the geese emerged from them. The fact that no one had ever witnessed this process did little to discourage the idea.
Similarly, Olaus Magnus proposed that ducks were born from trees. He believed that certain trees produced fruit that, when ripe, fell into the sea, splitting open to release a new duck. Once again, the absence of any real-life evidence did not convince him that his theory was wrong.
10. Predicting Disaster
Waxwings visit the UK only once every few years, likely depending on food availability. Their arrival was once seen as an ominous sign. People believed it heralded a particularly cold and harsh winter, and in 1914, it was even suggested that the migration of the waxwings predicted the start of World War I.
9. Sinking Ships
Pliny the Elder claimed that migrating quails would land in large numbers on ships at night, causing the vessels to sink. Whether he believed they did this deliberately or accidentally remains unclear. It’s far more likely that the ships were already sinking due to structural issues, and the quails simply landed on them to rest during their long flight. It would take an impossibly large number of quails to actually sink a ship!
Interestingly, this is the same Pliny who suggested that a group of miniature humans known as pygmies lived in Africa and regularly fought against another species of bird—the crane. According to the tale, these pygmies would ride on the backs of goats and sheep to face off with the cranes. Given this, perhaps the story of quails sinking ships doesn’t seem so outlandish after all.
8. Carrying New Babies
You’re probably familiar with the symbolic link between storks and the delivery of newborn babies. While there are various theories behind this curious imagery of a stork carrying a baby wrapped in a bundle, the most intriguing explanation is tied to the stork’s migration habits.
Storks migrate from Europe to Africa around the time of the summer solstice and return to Europe exactly nine months later. In Northern Europe, many people traditionally got married around the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Of course, human pregnancy lasts about nine months, so the storks would return in spring, coinciding with the births of babies from the previous summer’s marriages.
7. Being Two Species At Once
While this next myth isn’t strictly about their migration, hummingbirds, as migratory birds, have inspired many mysterious stories. The Spanish queen Isabella once heard a report that hummingbirds were a hybrid of birds and insects. This mistake isn’t too surprising, considering species like the bee hummingbird, which is the smallest bird in the world, weighing only 1.6 to 1.9 grams. There’s also the hummingbird hawkmoth, which often gets mistaken for a hummingbird due to its remarkable similarity. To make matters even more confusing, hummingbird hawkmoths also migrate!
Hummingbirds were once believed to be too tiny to make the journey on their own, so people thought they must travel ‘piggyback’ on larger birds, like geese. However, hummingbirds are fully capable of migrating alone, and can cover distances of up to 4,300 kilometers (2,700 miles).
6. Following A Microlight
Remarkably, this is not a myth. Some orphaned birds have learned their migration paths thanks to the intervention of caring humans. Christian Moullec, a former Swedish meteorologist, raised a group of lesser white-fronted geese in 1995. He then flew a light aircraft to guide them along their proper migration route.
He has continued this work annually since then. The birds only need to see the route once, and they will remember it. Through imprinting on their human caretaker, they will follow the route no matter what—even if it means trailing behind a microlight!
5. The Longest Migration
Arctic terns hold the record for the longest migration of any bird species on Earth. Every year, they fly an average of 70,900 kilometers (44,100 miles) from the Arctic to the Antarctic. One tern was recorded flying an astonishing 81,600 kilometers (50,700 miles), which is roughly three times the circumference of the Earth! Another tern was observed traveling nearly 90,000 kilometers (56,000 miles).
4. Restless In Captivity
Even birds that are kept in captivity have been known to become agitated during their typical migration periods. These birds, who have never migrated and were raised in confined environments, often attempt to fly in the direction they would naturally follow. This behavior shows that migration is an innate instinct for migratory birds, regardless of their circumstances.
3. Smaller Brains
Larger brains require more energy, and when you're flying thousands of miles, you need all the energy you can get. Migratory birds have evolved to have smaller brains compared to their non-migratory counterparts. This adaptation helps conserve energy by reducing the amount of energy spent on thinking, allowing more energy for the demanding task of flight. If only we could shrink our brains before going for a jog!
2. High Flyers
Bar-headed geese are the highest-flying migratory birds, reaching altitudes of up to 8,851 meters (29,040 feet) above sea level. That’s high enough for you to greet them from your airplane window! For reference, the highest bird recorded was a Rüppell's griffon vulture, which soared to 11,278 meters (37,000 feet), only to be sucked into a plane’s engine.
Though not quite as high-flying, the bar-tailed godwit can fly an astounding 11,000 kilometers (7,000 miles) without stopping. The great snipe isn’t far behind, migrating 6,760 kilometers (4,200 miles) nonstop, traveling at a speed of about 100 kilometers per hour (60 mph). No other bird is known to sustain such speed over such long distances.
1. The Shortest Migration
The North American dusky grouse, also known as the blue grouse, is said to complete the shortest migration in the world. It moves from the mountains during winter to lower elevations in deciduous woodlands in summer, covering a distance of only 300 meters (1,000 feet) in elevation. The question remains: is this a true migration? The answer is still up for debate.
