In this section, we have divided the world into countries in which to place the pics of birds native to that land. However, these should really be under the heading of Major Faunal Regions of the World. For the sake of ease, we shall continue to show the country ...

This is the list of correct zonings:

NEARCTIC - Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand )

PALEARCTIC Nth Africa, Europe, Asia... )

HOLARCTIC ETHIOPIAN Southern portion of Africa

NECTROPICAL Central and South America

ORIENTAL India, south East Asia

AUSTRALASIAN Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand

OCEANIC East Indies and Pacific Islands

Section 2

Migrant Birds - Did you know?

Just 22 years after Columbus first set sail for the Indies, one G. F. Valdez was probably the first to comment on the migration of birds in the West Hemisphere.

BIRDS of PASSAGE

Did you know that the Arctic Tern migrates annually from the arctic to the Antarctic and back again? Also that the hummingbird flies non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico to its winter home in Central and South America.

Everyone has heard about the marvellous homing ability of homing pigeons, but relatively few have heard of the homing abilities of wild birds. Comparing the homing pigeon with the wild bird, the pigeon is a mere novice.

Migrational homing behaviour among wild birds is considered first - homing being the ability of animals to return great distances over a route, sometimes unknown and often with no land marks. The Whitear, for instance, migrates from the Canadian Arctic through the british Isles to West Africa.

DO YOUNG BIRDS HAVE THIS HOMING ABILITY TOO??

It is quite apparent that they do.. as many young birds migrate before their parents. Young birds never migrate to the wrong area, mistaking Florida for instance for California.

The young of whooping cranes accompany their parents south. Geese are another example

Section 3

Wings Across the Moon

The fact that migrating birds tend to travel at night makes observation more difficult, but moonlight is a help - not because of the dim light but it silhouettes the individuals when they fly across it.

It appears many birds get up in the middle of the night just for the sake of making three or fours hours progress towards their destination. We cannot guess why. Once recently in Australia, at 10pm at night, after late night shopping, I observed great flocks of huge birds, (resembling albatross) but of couse they could not be - circling the car park, clearly visible and then immediately they were gone. It seemed they were getting their bearings, (it was many thousand birds) and then they just immediately disappeared. Others rang me mentioning this, it was most interesting.

DOES MOONLIGHT AFFECT THE VOLUME OF MIGRATION?

Does the "chip" notes of small land birds give any indication of the number passing overhead? Do they advance in a wide movement or in narrow streams? brb

Section 4

More on Migration

There is lots to be written on migrating birds. However, for now, we will only supply some simple facts...

Young birds suffer large mortalities in their first year. About 75% of songbirds are lost. In game birds it is even higher.

HOW IS HOMING INSTINCT TRANSMITTED FROM OLD TO YOUNG?

One explanation assumes that birds have extraordinary organs that register every turn of the road, and birds are credited with knowing their geographic position in regard to its nesting ability.

It has also been suggested that birds are sensitive to terrestrial magnetism. It is argued that each part of the earth has its own magnetic field. A bird may be able to detect through its ears and so recognise whether it's home lay to North or South. Magnets attached to storks failed to impair their homing abilities.

Some assert that birds migrate, using the solar system (stars) as a guide.

In migration watching, everyone has a chance to follow in the path of Newton, to observe the wonders of creation as they are expressed in the most common phenomena, and to explore nature assiduously.