Migration

Many shorebirds breed in the north as far up as the sub-Arctic. While summer in such places is short, it is hot and lush. With the sun overhead almost 24 hours a day, there is an explosion of plants and insects, providing plentiful food. At the same time, the severity of the northern winter means that there are fewer snakes, lizards and other predators that abound in our part of the world.

Birds take advantage of this seasonal abundance and relative safety. They arrive in the summer to lay eggs and raise their young. Most shorebirds simply lay their eggs on the ground, not bothering with a nest. The chicks grow rapidly and are able to fly and join the adults on their migration. To escape the harsh winter, the shorebirds fly towards warmer areas in south as autumn approaches.

As spring begins, shorebirds journey back northward to their breeding grounds to begin the cycle of life again.

The mechanisms initiating migratory behaviour vary and are not always completely understood. Migration can be triggered by a combination of changes in day length, lower temperatures, changes in food supplies, and genetic predisposition. For centuries, people who have kept cage birds have noticed that the migratory species go through a period of restlessness each spring and fall, repeatedly fluttering toward one side of their cage.

The East Asia/Australasia Flyway extends from Arctic Russia and North America to the southern limits of Australia and New Zealand. It encompasses large parts of East Asia, all of Southeast Asia and includes eastern India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The migratory path of shorebirds can be many thousands of kilometers long, spanning many countries. On their long journey, shorebirds rest and refuel on 'fast food': high-energy food that can be harvested quickly.

Shorebird food is abundant in mudflats and wetlands.

Among wetlands, mudflats are often overlooked, which translates to a general disregard for their preservation. This oversight is costly for the world’s biodiversity, as mudflats provide abundant food, unique shelters, and plentiful water to microbes, plants, insects, birds, and mammals, making them irreplaceable in millions of natural life cycles.

Shorebirds also rest near wetlands. They don't usually perch in trees like many other birds do.

The chain of such wetland stopovers used by shorebirds is called a Flyway. Often, migratory birds must fly non-stop between wetland stopovers as there are no suitable feeding habitats for them in between. The loss of such 'stepping stones' is the biggest threat to the continued existence of these marvellous birds.

Singapore is part of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway that stretches from Siberia across East Asia, along the Malay Peninsula to western Australia. Just as Changi Airport is a travel hub, Singapore is an important stopover for shorebirds travelling on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

If they lose their sense of smell, birds can no longer navigate

Research into homing pigeons shows that without their sense of smell, they stop being able to find their way back to their home loft. Recent experiments have suggested that this is the same for migratory birds too.

The secrets of their amazing navigational skills aren’t fully understood, partly because birds combine several different types of senses when they navigate. Birds can get compass information from the sun, the stars, and by sensing the earth’s magnetic field. They also get information from the position of the setting sun and from landmarks seen during the day.

V-Formation flying: First, it conserves their energy. Each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of him, resulting in a reduction of wind resistance. The birds take turns being in the front, falling back when they get tired. In this way, the geese can fly for a long time before they must stop for rest. The authors of a 2001 Nature article stated that pelicans that fly alone beat their wings more frequently and have higher heart rates than those that fly in formation. It follows that birds that fly in formation glide more often and reduce energy expenditure

The second benefit to the V formation is that it is easy to keep track of every bird in the group. Flying in formation may assist with the communication and coordination within the group. Fighter pilots often use this formation for the same reason.