sparrow
Posted by daislyanne imona on August 22, 2005
Q: how does a sparrow know how to find its way back to her home, after out searching for food?
A: Believe it or not, it finds its way back home much the same as you would find yours. Birds usually live within a specific area they call their own (their territory) much like you live within a neighborhood. They stay within their territory (at least during nesting season)and get to know the trees, buildings, places for water, food and shelter within that area just like you know your own surroundings. So, in a sense, everything is familiar to them and they don't leave home until they migrate.
Although scientists have studied bird migration for years now, they still don't understand many of the ways that birds are able to find their wintering areas or return back to their nesting areas. It seems that some birds are able to remember where to go while others seem to have an instinct to know where to go. It's interesting to note that some birds actually come back to the very same yard, year after year to nest, even though their wintering area may be thousands of miles away - truly remarkable.
As you can see, we still have a lot more to learn about birds. Thanks for asking.
John Wiessinger ( August 22, 2005)