New discovery about the migration habits of Australian birds

On October 28, Australian researchers announced new findings on the migration habits of birds in the Southern Hemisphere , through data from weather radar technology.

There are many differences in the direction, timing and intensity of bird migration from year to year. (Illustration photo).

A team from the University of Queensland used 16 years of weather radar data to track bird migration patterns from the southern island of Tasmania to Queensland in north-eastern Australia.

The data showed many differences in migration direction, timing and intensity from year to year when compared to birds in the Northern Hemisphere, which are closely tied to the seasons, said study leader Xu Shi .

For example, they found that the silvereye , a very small bird native to the southwest Pacific, migrates from Tasmania to southeast Queensland, but not all birds migrate the entire distance each year, but rather travel shorter distances.

The study also found that many Australian birds migrate during the day , a behaviour not seen in the Northern Hemisphere.

Using weather radar to track birds will help researchers further explore how climate change and environmental change affect migration patterns and could boost bird conservation efforts in Australia and globally, said study co-author Richard Fuller.