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What is migration? |
Creature Features
The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are colder, and food is scarce. This may be an animal’s reality as winter approaches. When a creature’s home, or habitat, makes it challenging to survive, the animal may migrate. Migration is the movement of a group of animals from one location to another. To be a true migration, animals must eventually return to the area they left.
Many animals migrate in order to find better sources of food, water and shelter. For example, in the winter, there may not be a large supply of insects for birds to eat, and snow on the ground may make it difficult to reach seeds. What do the birds do? They may migrate to warmer areas where food is abundant!
But migrating is not just for the birds! Many creatures, such as caribou, seals, fish and insects, use migration to help them survive. Even large African mammals, such as elephants, migrate in search of food and water. Some creatures migrate during the day, while others migrate at night. Some migrate only a few miles, while others migrate thousands of miles! Whether a creature’s migratory journey is long or short, the benefit of reaching the destination makes it all worthwhile!
Migration isn’t just about traveling long distances across the land. Some animals, such as salmon, migrate from fresh water to the sea, then back to fresh water, where they lay their eggs. Other creatures may move from a high elevation to a lower one when they migrate. For example, Dall sheep spend the summer near the top of the mountain, then move down to the valley during the winter in search of land that is less snowy and more abundant in food.
