How are birds able to fly over large distances during migration without ever getting lost.?
471754
Scientists don't have all the answers, but current theory says migrating birds have a "map and compass" system. The map gives them location and the compass provides direction. They may use observation and memory, and hard-wired (instinctual) information for the map. There are believed to be 5 basic navigation mechanisms: steering by the sun; steering by stars; biological-magnetic map (for location; is sensitive to magnetic disturbances); magnetic map (for direction); and odor map (for short distances). See the ref. for details.
907274
what do you need to know?\n\nthey are widest down south, and get narrow up north (as the mountains get closer to the sea).\n\nalong the sea, they are lined with inlets and wetlands that are prime bird migration habitats, and were easily linked to form the Intracoastal Waterway.
1026570
Normal cruising speed is about 30-40 miles per hour.  However, if they're being chased by a hawk, they get easily get up to the 65-70 mph range for a while.  With a wind behind them, pigeons have also been clocked over the distance (hundreds of miles) at over 50 mph and in rare instances up to 80 mph.\n\nThere are many people who enjoy racing pigeons and speeds are well documented since they birds are clocked over the distance and have been for many, many years.\n\nPigeons are some of the fastest flyers around - in level flight - and only some of the shorebirds can equal them.
779454
Wild turkeys can fly.  However, they don't typically fly more than a quarter mile or higher than fifty feet up.  In fact, wild turkeys can fly up to 50mph.  \n\nDomesticated turkeys cannot fly though.  Due to husbandry techniques that enhance muscle volume, they are simply too heavy to fly.
259400
Anything having to do with birds. For example, what are the theories as to how the migrating birds find their way over thousands of miles to exactly the same spot, when humans who are supposed to be the most intelligent life forms on Earth can't find their way across town without a map.
266444
They could travel in shallow water and on up over land. They carry great weight, and they are really really fast as they travel over the water.Some are for civilian use, they used to travel between england and france, and the military still uses them.
744143
Many African wildlife migrate to areas with the most available water, in areas where the seasons have very different rainfall. These animals can include zebras, wildebeests, buffaloes, elephants. \nhttp://www.aims.gov.au/ibm/pages/news/wetlands-tanzania.html\n\nDucks, geese, and other water birds or shore birds that normally live in lakes, lagoons, or beaches,  migrate with the seasons--go from wet area to wet area during their migration. They may travel across continents. \nhttp://www.wetlands.org/articlemenu.aspx?id=3adc7b5a-ba02-4d1a-aabe-3292116e6cf4
609015
It just means that a bird flew by
609755
It's a good question, and one that is still not fully answered.  When we speak of "instinct," as some of the other answerers did, we actually asign the problem to a black box and leave it pretty unanswered.  Instinct alright, but the question remains: HOW?  \n\nNow, there are two means that have been found to be apparently of importance for migrating birds.  One is magnetic field orientation, the other is visual orientation.  Both seem to be involved partially or exclusively, but how exactly they work remains a bit of a mystery.\n\nIn order for an animal to orient itself along the magnetic field of the earth, it has to somehow sense the field.  This can either work by means of having magnetic substances in the body, that will align according to the magnetic field.  Their alignment must then be sensed by the organism.  Some organisms have magnitide enclosed in their body that serves this function.  However, in birds nothing like it has been found.  Nevertheless, birds do use magnetic fields, and so the question remains: HOW?\n\nElasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays) actually orient themselves according to the earth's magnetic field using electric currents.  It's a simple but very impressive physiological achievement.  If you move a charge through a standing magnetic field, you will induce an electric current.  This is due to the Lorentz force, which will act on the charge (F = q v B sinØ).  The right hand rule will give you the direction of the Lorentz force.  If the shark swims in an eastern direction, the Lorentz force will pull upwards, so that the direction of the induced electric field is a dorso-ventral one (i.e., one pol is on the back of the animal, from where the current flows to the other pol on the belly of the shark).  If the shark were to swim the opposite direction, the electric current would run the other way.  With its electrosensitive organs (Ampullae of Lorenzi), the sahrk can sense the direction of the current and figure out which direction it swims.  It's an electromagnetic compass.  However, birds have no electrosensitive receptors...\n\nNow, birds also use visual cues.  These seem to be primarily stars, which is of course great for navigation.  Landmarks, like mountains etc. may also play a role.  \n\nBut again, how this works in detail is not fully understood.  Let me know once you figure it out!!!
656671
I used to own chickens and roosters. Neither can fly not even a few meters. They are able to jump/flight to there perch and thats about it.\n\nWing to body size ratio prevents their flight.
179025
Some birds will fly away from their nests as a way to distract a threat. Or they will fly at a predator in an attempt to annoy them. If they're large enough or persistent enough, they may also use their beak or feet/talons to cause injury.
887471
they can!!!!!! just short distances.   ever try to catch one:) it will fly!!!!
612806
I'm not going to give you some useless chickadee facts.  If you are asking about the flight pattern, I assume you already know what one looks like and where it lives.  So I'll cut to the chase.  Regarding how the chickadee flies, it "rolls."  It flaps a few wingbeats and then brings its wings close to its body and allows itself to fall through the air like a torpedo, riding the momentum.  It then starts flapping its wings again.  Then falling, then flapping, then falling, then flapping.   This kind of flight acts to greatly conserve energy.  As far as migration patterns, they are fairly non-migratory in the States, sometimes ranging further south in the colder months and further north in warmer months.
706631
That is quite a difficult question to answer as you would have to know how many calories are in a particular food item (which can be determined using a calometry bomb) and how many calories are expended during flight. I would say that no, a pigeon would need more than a few grams of seed to fly kilometers (it also depends on how many kilometers were taking, 2 vs 100 is a huge difference). Many birds migrate overlong distances, but make stops to refuel and take adventage of flight formation (the V of geeese), wind currents, updrafts and anything else they can to make it easier so they really arent technically flying the entire distance, they glide a great majority of it. Although, knowing that they are going to be going a long way, birds do eat and store quite a bit to fuel them. \nWings and the tail provide steering, but its primarily the wings. \nSo, no a single meal is not enough, but yes the do consume enough calories to fly great distances.
939944
Ostriches can't fly because they have tiny (vestigial) wings. Ostriches are large birds, and weigh quite a bit - and therefore would need HUGE wings in order to fly. We're talking a wingspan of over 30 feet! There is a point where the weight of the body and the need for longer/bigger wings is not advantageous for a species. The ostrich is way beyond that metaphorical cut-off point. \n\nI hope this helps!
9136
Yoki is right on.  Some birds that normally summer in northern Canada do not go very far south at all.  Juncos and tree sparrows, two birds of the far north like to winter in the northern U S. And of course some do not migrate at all.  Normally, birds whose food supply consist of insects and fruit and flowers are the migrators. But as Yoki pointed out the Artic Tern, a fish eater, is one of the worlds longest migrators. Some Artic Terns do not make it all the way to the Artic however. There is a large colony that breed on a small island off the coast of Maine.
1014429
They do fly.\n\nWhere are you getting your misinformation?