How do birds follow the same route during round-trip migrations?

Question

Is it because of the sun or the wind currents.. or something else?

Answer 1

Birdz have good instinct, especially when it comes down to going back to their natural place of origin and/or where they usual travel. At nights they have a route that takes them just the place they want to be .....that's following the Milky Way..which runs ne to sw...which is gooood.

Answer 2

This question still interests many scientists. It has been showed that birds use several orientation "tools".

They can use the sun, for example, which means that they permanently "know" what time it is, in order to know the right direction on the basis of the sun's position. They are also sensible to the ultraviolet rays which penetrate the clouds but are invisible for human beings. Even the nocturnal birds use the position of the sun at sunset to know their position.

Nocturnal birds also use the stars. This has been proved by letting birds fly in a planetarium and changing the stars' position.

Another tool is the earth's magnetic field (earth's north and south magnetic poles). Some birds, like pigeons, have a small zone in their brain made of magnetite (magnetic mineral), just like a small compass. But other scientists think it's rather in their eyes that some birds have a system which indicates them where the magnetic north is...

Of course, birds also use their knowledge of the landscape: they follow rivers, valleys or roads, or locate themselves with particular mountain peaks.

Other tracks are still to be explored. For example it seems that some birds could find their way by following their sense of smell...

Answer 3

Birds fly in a V shape so as that each and every poultry finally ends up optimum the gang at a while. See whilst the top poultry gets drained the top poultry drops to the back and then yet another poultry finally ends up going into that is place. that is why they flow around plenty.

Answer 4

If memory serves, they are guided primarily by the earth's magnetic field; however, sun and star positions are also factors.