Claire Sanders and Daniel Mennill pose next to one of the plexiglass microphones used to track the noises made by birds migrating at night over Lake Erie. The technique confirms in importance of islands in bird migration. (Photo credit: Daniel Mennill)
New audio recordings confirm that Lake Erie is not a barrier to bird migration, but that birds pick their routes so as to stay above islands if possible. Migratory birds fly at night, so the team used audio recordings from the north shore of Lake Erie and from Pelee Island — in the middle of the lake — to identify them.
Over 60 species of birds were found in both places, confirming that Lake Erie is not a barrier to migration. However a much higher concentration of birds were found above the island. The authors suggest that this is because the birds rely on the islands for landmarks or as a place to rest in an emergency.
Original research paper published in the Canadian Field-Naturalist on July 7, 2014.
Names and affiliations of selected authors
