Page 20 - The Miracle of Migration in Animals

THE MIRACLE OF MIGRATION IN ANIMALS

Perfect Orientation

Compared with most animals, humans seem to have a rather
poor sense of direction. We can again take the honeybee to make a
comparison. When foraging bees return to the hive, they explain to
the other bees with “body language” exactly where they found the
food. Following their directions, the other bees find their way to the
new site as easily as if they had already been there.
It is not so easy for humans to find a place they do not know,
however well it is described to them. They always risk going the
wrong way or getting lost. To reduce this risk, road signs are erected
to show the way, streets and avenues are legibly named, and detailed
maps are printed. But no migrating creature has such advantages, nor
indeed has any need of them. For most migrating creatures there are
no signs to show the way, there is not even another creature to give
directions to the destination.

Creatures Programmed to Find Their Way

When an animal sets off on its journey, factors different from the
ones that guide humans come into play.
Each migrating species has a different
method of finding and following a
route. Broadly speaking, however, birds
make use of the Sun, the stars and the
Earth’s magnetic field; and fish make
use of chemical scents in the water com-
ing from rivers. Naturally, they require
expertise to evaluate the available data
and arrive at a conclusion. Getting to
the right destination using only the

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