YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s just birds but A LOT of them.
The video of the crows above was captured right outside the WKBN 27 First News studio on Thursday morning, but they frequent this spot many mornings and evenings throughout the year. The crows are roosting, which is where they group together in trees during the night. Why do they do this?
Why do birds roost?
There are a few reasons why birds exhibit this behavior. One of the main reasons is to conserve body heat. Grouping together tightly can help conserve heat during the cold winter nights. Another reason is to help protect themselves from predators. The large groups and annoying noises (crows in particular) can help to scare off any predators that might harm them.
You might have also noticed large conveys of birds moving across the sky. There are some birds that migrate to different locations throughout the year, but why exactly do they do this?
Why do birds migrate?
The majority of birds in North America migrate depending on the season. During the fall, the birds migrate to the south, and during the spring, birds migrate back to the north.
Why exactly do they do it? The most obvious answer is food. During winter in the Valley, food is scarce due to freezing temperatures. Birds fly south to find food and better shelter to raise their young. Amazingly, the habit of migrating is basically in the bird’s DNA. The majority of birds in North America have an internal calendar that tells them when to begin migration.
Birds often travel in flocks, and scenes like the one pictured below are common during these migrations.
Which birds are migrating right now?
According to BirdCast, a website published by Cornell University, the most common birds for you to see migrating in the Valley right now are the White-throated Sparrow, the White-crowned Sparrow, and the Bufflehead.
You probably know what a sparrow is, but what in the world is a bufflehead? They are actually a small type of duck. In fact, they are the smallest “diving duck” in the United States, which means that they feed by diving underwater. They are known for having a large head relative to their body. These birds typically reach their peak migration in November/December for the fall season and March/April for the spring season.
Where are the birds going?
Another amazing fact about birds is that they know exactly where to go when migrating. Once again, there is something that is built into their DNA that gives them the path to their destination. Typically, these routes are along coastlines, rivers, or mountain ranges.
In the United States, there are four main flyways: The Atlantic flyway, Mississippi flyway, Central flyway, and Pacific flyway
Birds in Ohio arrive and leave by both the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways. Most of the birds in this part of the country migrate to the southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico.
Typically, these birds do not migrate as much when the weather is bad. Will the weather be nice over the weekend to see the migrating birds? Check out the Youngstown 7-day outlook to find out.
