How Do Birds Know Where to Migrate Every Year?
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Non-gregarious birds just have a compulsion to go south when the weather changes. They don’t have a specific location in mind when they begin their first migration.
Gregarious birds like geese *do* have a specific location in mind, and the older birds teach the younger birds the route and stopover points. That year’s fledglings never get to lead the flying-V, they don’t know the route yet.
If some jerkbag geese honk up your local pond every year, it’s very likely that it’s many of the same geese year after year. They can live over 20 years and will repeat the same route.
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