Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-04-25
AT GREAT HEIGHTS
Small Birds Are Often Two
Miles High.
Observations Show That In Their MI
pratIons They Travel From Africa
70 helaoland. at Rate Of 1870
Miles an Hour

The great problem Of how small
birds were able to manage long flights
from other countries exercised the
minds of naturalists for centuries. The
first man to collect accurate informa'
ton on the subject was the late Herr
Gatke. Living on the little Island OF
Helgoland, In tha direct route OF mi.
grafton. and entirely devoted to his
subject. he was able to verify for him.
self many facts which had until then
| escaped notice. .& ."aN
For instance, he pointed out that
birds on migration often few very
high-probably as much as $4,000 feet
| lover two miles, above the ground.
That they do fly at a great height has
been corroborated by astronomers,
who have seen birds flying across the
face Of the moon at height OF not
less than one mile
Gatke's idea on speed were prob
ably exaggerated. but only by q theory
of a tremendous swift fight at high
altitude could he account for the fact
that certain birds were never, or rare
ly, seen in the countries between their
winter and summer quarters. For in
stance, he pointed out that the blue
throat, which winters in Africa and
breeds in Scandinavia, is but rarely
met with in any Of the countries on
the line line Of route-Italy, Greece
and southern Germany.
When they arrived at Helgoland
they came in large fiocks and were
tired and exhausted; also they always
| arrived at the same hour-somewhat
late in the morning. He thought 1t
probable that they left Africa at dusk
the previous evening, and by flying at
the rate of $50 miles an hour would
be able to reach Helgoland in the one
flight.
Between 1850 and 1887 the British
association granted some money to
special committee for the study of mi
grafton, and by means Of schedules
much information was collected about
the birds that are killed annually at
coast lights. Although many facts
were thus obtained the observations
In this respect are almost entirely de-
pendent on weather conditions. In
fact, it may be said that the only mi
grafton that can be actually seen is
that which has partly failed, for 1t Is
only when delayed or held back by
storms or fog that birds obviously on
passage are encountered along the
coast or in other places where they are
not usually found.
In Denmark and Germany ornitho-
logists have been experimenting by
ringing birds and having those that
are caught returned to the address CIV
en- on the aluminium band placed on
the birds leg.
| In this way the habits or migration,
speed and direction of flight and other
facts are discovered. Storks have CIV
en- the most striking results from ring
ing Without exception all storks that
have been recovered In the first au-
tumn after ringing had travelled In q
due southeasterly direction.
7 From Hungaria to Palestine no
ringed birds have been procured, but
from Palestine four have been return
ed, from Alexandria one, Blue Nile one,
Victoria Nyanza one and no fewer
than seven from the Transvaal, Natal,
Basutoland, etc., while of the Hun
garian storks (marked by the Hun
garian ofice) no fewer than seventeen
have been recorded from the various
localities in South Africa. 1t is, there
fore, practically certain that north Ger
man and Hungarian storks travel
southeast to Palestine and thence due
south to South Africa