The Migration Of Land Birds Over The Pacific Ocean

• Main Authors: Williams, Timothy C., Williams, J. M.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Works 1999
• Subjects: Biology; Pacific; Alaska; Siberia
• Online Access: https://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-biology/627; https://www.internationalornithology.org/PROCEEDINGS_Durban/Symposium/S33/S33.2.htm

The migration of land birds over the Pacific Ocean has been studied using distribution and banding data, radar, and ground-based and satellite-based radio telemetry. Migration routes with long over-water components include eastern Pacific movements along the North and South American western coasts, the central Pacific flyway from Alaska and Siberia to Hawaii and the South Pacific islands, and western Pacific flights from the northern Asian coast to the South Pacific and Australia. Non-stop flights appear to approach 8000 km. Radar studies indicate that fixed heading (vector) orientation is sufficient to direct most observed migrations, but satellite tracks and the ability of birds to reliably locate small, remote islands challenges this hypothesis.