MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • September 8, 2024
As this fall migration proceeds, we can see how our attempts to sort out different migration strategies may lead us astray. One dichotomy that is often used for migratory birds is to contrast long-distance with short-distance migrants. Usually, a North American long-distance migrant describes a species that moves south out of the continent to Central America, South America or the Caribbean islands. A host of our nesting birds fall into this category: ruby-throated hummingbirds migrating to Central America, red knots to Argentina and scarlet tanagers broadly across South America. ~ Herb Wilson