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Migratory Birds of the Temperate Zone

The temperate zones are situated north and south of the tropical zone, which is found between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The northern temperate zone, belonging to the Northern Hemisphere, extends from the Tropic of Cancer north to the Arctic Circle. All of the mainland United States of America is located within the northern temperate zone, except for the far north of Alaska. Native birds of the temperate zones often migrate to warmer climes for winter.

Passerines
- Passerines refer to all perching birds, which are mainly songbirds, but also includes the corvids, or crow family. The eastern kingbird is a native of North America, found throughout most of the central and eastern United States and southern Canada. It breeds throughout this range, but leaves when the weather gets cooler and flies south through central America to reach western South America. This course of action is typical of many other songbirds, like the scarlet tanager and the bobolink. The ruby-throated hummingbird flies a shorter distance to winter in central America.
Sea Birds
- Sea birds of the northern temperate zone that migrate south include members of the albatross, shearwater, tern and gull families. These birds are well adapted to traveling great distances and spend most of their lives airborne. The Arctic tern may nest as far north as the Arctic and yet travel across oceans to the other side of the world for winter, a distance of about 25,000 miles that it covers every year. The sooty shearwater literally circles the world's oceans when it departs New Zealand in the Southern Hemisphere's wintertime to enjoy North America's summer.
Waterfowl
- Waterfowl, namely ducks, geese and swans, are often the most visible migratory birds. Flocks of noisy geese flying in distinctive formation, each with neck outstretched and wings beating as fast as they'll allow are most people's idea of migrating birds. Most waterfowl use the same flyway year after year. They leave in the fall to find food in warmer areas. The eider is a species of duck that migrates from a temperate zone, by, not flying, but swimming a good deal of the way, even though perfectly able to fly.
Raptors
- Migrating raptors can travel at a height of around 100 meters. Migration from temperate regions is normally an attempt to escape cold weather and decreasing food sources. Hawk watching has become a popular pastime in the United States every fall. Most species avoid flying over wide expanses of water in favor of flyways, which increase soaring potential. The large majority of North American raptor species are migratory. Some, like the bald eagle and the osprey, leave subarctic areas for subtropical ones.

Animals & Science