Migration is a bi-annual occurrence where various species migrate to colder or warmer climates depending on the time of year. These migratory animals tend to travel north in the springtime to have cooler weather and south in the wintertime to have warmer weather. This natural adaptation helps these animals survive throughout the year. Rather than adapting to the environment they live in, they instead have adapted to migrate thousands of miles a year to ensure survival. This provides them with a wider habitat range and more access to necessary resources for survival but also poses issues as well. Migration requires a lot of energy and can be a very vulnerable time for these species. Part of the reason you see migration occurring in big groups for some species is that this adaptation offers protection and motivation for individuals to keep moving. To help protect and ensure safety during migration, whenever stops are made along the trek, spots are scouted out to ensure the safety and availability of resources to all who are traveling. Protection is also a consideration when migrating in the way these animals present themselves while traveling. Sometimes the shape and form they present while travelling works to protect the most vulnerable of the species to ensure their survival by placing the strongest individuals on the outside to fight off any predators or dangers they might encounter during their journey.
The routes used by these migratory species (specifically bird species) have been studied for years by scientists and have been categorized as flyways. The four flyways here in the US are the Pacific, Central, Mississippi, and Atlantic. These flyway routes follow the topographical features of the United States in a north-to-south direction. The main flyway routes listed above are mapped and dependent upon the boundaries on either side- mountain ranges, ocean, etc. Here in Florida, we are a part of the Atlantic flyway system that follows the natural coastline of the Atlantic spanning from the Bahamas to the tip of Maine. This is a unique and somewhat treacherous flyway system because this system encompasses and spans some of the most productive ecosystems in the northern hemisphere as well as housing about 1/3rd of the country’s human population. This flyway system includes coastal habitats, forested areas, and wetland areas throughout the journey.
Animals that Migrate to Florida:
- Leatherback Sea Turtle
- Loggerhead Sea Turtle
- Green Sea Turtle
- Canada Goose
- Cooper’s Hawk
- Great Blue Heron
- Great Egret
- Mallard
- Common Loon
- Mourning Dove
- Painted Bunting
- Sandhill Crane
- Short-tailed Hawk
- Turkey Vulture
- Wood Duck
- Manatees
- Snook
- North Atlantic Right Whale
- Hoary Bats
- Eastern Red Bats
Sources Used:
Five migrating species to watch for this winter | Florida State Parks
Bird Migration Explorer (audubon.org)
Long-Distance Ocean Travels | National Geographic Society