How Does a Bird Know Which Way to Migrate?

Imagine you're flying on a really long trip, but there are no maps or signs to help you. Birds use special tools inside their bodies, like a built-in compass and a sun tracker, to know where they’re going. When the sky is cloudy, they use Earth’s magnetic field, which acts like an invisible road map that guides them all the way home.

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Examples

A bird flying from the Arctic to South America uses the sun like a clock.
When it's cloudy, the bird follows Earth’s invisible magnetic field like an underground highway.
At night, the bird looks at stars and finds its way across the ocean.

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Categories: Biology · migration,navigation,birds