when birds are flying south for the winter, how far can they fly in a day?

Answer 1

Common birds usually fly at ~18 - 55 mph during the migration, varying from 150 mi to over 300 mi daily depending on the size and energy reserves. A sustained flight of 10 hours per day in still air would carry herons, hawks, crows, and smaller birds from 100 to 250 miles, while ducks and geese might travel as much as 400 to 500 miles in the same period. The northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) can fly continuously at 90 mph when making its 24 hour Atlantic crossing.
The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) flies from Europe to South Africa about 5-6,000 mi or North America to South America some 6 - 7,000 miles. These small birds easily fly from 4.5 - 20 MPH as tested in wind tunnel flight.
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/full/204/15/2741
Locally they are the first birds to leave gathering in flocks to migrate as a group. Some experienced birds may be able to travel in about five weeks at a speed of about 185 mi per day.

Research suggests the birds fly more efficiently with heavy food stores early in migration. Anders Kvist at Lund University looked at Red Knots (Calidris canutu). He found fully fed, Red Knots flying in a wind tunnel for 6-10 hours extracted significantly more power from each unit of food. This ensures birds have adequate reserves to endure long periods such as crossing water or deserts requires.
http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/RITCHISO//554notes3.html
http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/How_Fast.html
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v413/n6857/full/413697a0.html

Answer 2

Depends on the bird species. The larger the bird, the longer distance it can fly at one time (and for raptors, that would be a day - but most birds actually migrate at night). Believe it or not, even tiny hummingbirds can (with favorable winds) cross the Gulf of Mexico in a non-stop flight of approximately 18-24 hours. We do not have a lot of detailed migration information for most birds, but one arctic tern traveled a distance of 14,000 miles from where it was ringed as a fledgling in August to where it was recaught in October of the same year! That would be an average of 155 miles a day.

Answer 3

It depends on the species.

"How far to birds fly?
• Laysan Albatros can fly 510 kilometers a day.
• The Homing Pigeon can fly 1080 km a day.
• The Ruddy Turnstone can fly 1045 km a day."
http://www.thewildclassroom.com/biodiversity/birds/aviantopics/migration.html

Answer 4

That would depend on the bird and the weather, hummingbirds travel 1,400 miles during migration– with no wind of any kind. A headwind of only 10 miles per hour will cut that distance down to 600 miles and more than 20 mph will push them backward.

Answer 5

In my past experiences as a snow goose hunter. One day there will be an area completely covered in geese and the next day there isn t a goose within 100 miles.they take long breaks but once they get up and migrate they go all out

Answer 6

They fly for like 12 hours a day. The one in the front does a lot of the work, so they do something kind of like Indian sprints, where one in the back goes to the front and gives the front one a break.

Answer 7

That's an interesting question!

Answer 8

because in the south is summer right now
and when ever is summer here birds fly here
because in the south is winter........