Animal Migration

Hello. I am a secret feeling, a little tickle that tells animals it’s time for a big trip. When the air gets chilly, I whisper to birds, 'Fly south to the warm sunshine.'. When the days get long and sunny, I tell whales, 'Swim to the cool water to find yummy food.'. I am the reason you might wave goodbye to a flock of geese in the fall and hello to them again in the spring. I am a big journey waiting to happen. I am a secret whisper that starts a great adventure for animals all over the world, helping them find just what they need.

I am called Animal Migration. For a very, very long time, people saw animals leave and come back. It was a big puzzle. Way back in ancient Greece, more than 2,000 years ago, a wise man named Aristotle watched the birds. He wrote down his questions in a book, wondering where they went when winter came. He was one of the very first people to study my mystery. Today, we know that animals migrate to find food or a safe place to have their babies. Monarch butterflies fly thousands of miles to a special forest in Mexico, and giant humpback whales swim across the whole ocean. It's the biggest trip of their lives, and I help them every step of the way.

I am so important because I help animals stay safe, warm, and well-fed all year round. I show how strong and amazing animals are, traveling so far without a map. They just know the way because I am a feeling inside them. The next time you see birds flying in a V-shape across the sky, you’ll know they are on a special journey guided by me. I am a great adventure that happens all around you every single year, painting the skies and oceans with travelers on their amazing trip.