#migratory-birds

#migratory-birds

Just after dawn in Washington, D.C., Stephanie Haley is walking a familiar downtown route, scanning the sidewalk next to office buildings. There, huddled on the ground, is a motionless olive-green songbird. It's an Acadian flycatcher, no doubt on its way to Central or South America before it slammed into a window. Haley quietly sidles up to it, gently placing a net over the bird. Then she picks the bird up, using a gloved hand.

Bats are generally viewed as harmless, if spooky, creatures of the night. But scientists have revealed a more savage side, after witnessing a greater noctule bat Europe's largest bat species hunting, killing and devouring a robin mid-flight. The grisly recording reveals the bat as a formidable predator, climbing to 1.2km (4,000ft) before embarking on a breakneck-speed dive in pursuit of its prey.

Migratory birds play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem health, contributing to food security—pollinating plants and controlling pests while on their epic journeys.