Migrations: Indigo Bunting, Master Stargazer
Aug 31, 2023•2 min
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Episode description
The stars appear to rotate in the sky, raising the question of how birds can use stars to navigate during migration. Ornithologist Stephen Emlen brought Indigo Buntings to a planetarium, tracking their movements as the simulated night sky changed above them. The buntings oriented themselves using star patterns that appear to rotate the least — especially the North Star, Ursa Major and Cassiopeia.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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