Migratory species, as a biological and ecological topic, are taxa whose life cycles include regular, cyclical, and predictable movements between distinct geographic regions, typically driven by seasonal variation in resource availability, breeding opportunities, or environmental conditions. These movements can occur across latitudinal, altitudinal, or aquatic gradients and span scales from local to transcontinental. Research on migratory species focuses on navigation mechanisms (e.g., celestial, geomagnetic, olfactory cues), energetics and physiology of long-distance movement, connectivity between populations across ranges, and the consequences of migration for gene flow, community structure, ecosystem processes, and vulnerability to anthropogenic pressures along migratory routes.
Atlantic tarpon are famous for their long-distance migrations, traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles (hundreds to thousands of kilometers) along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. But where they feed along those journeys ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 15, 2026
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Tree swallows in the northern U.S. and Canada face the greatest risk from climate change despite responding to temperature the same way as tree swallows in the southern U.S., according to a new study led by Cornell researchers ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 12, 2026
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Scientists have detected the highly contagious H5 bird flu in an Australian seabird for the first time, the government said Friday.
Veterinary medicine
Jul 10, 2026
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Fish hatcheries are a critical part of the effort to restore salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. But hatchery fish are less likely than wild ones to return from the ocean to spawn—and one reason may be hatchery noise.
Ecology
Jul 8, 2026
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Spring migration has taken flight, but with rising temperatures and shifting seasons, birds are adjusting when and how they migrate to keep up with a rapidly warming climate. Morgan Tingley, a professor of ecology and evolutionary ...
Ecology
Jul 6, 2026
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If you stand on one of Australia's southern shorelines at this time of year, you might be lucky enough to spot a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) swimming in the shallow waters. These ocean giants have migrated ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 6, 2026
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The warblers—those harbingers of spring in the U.K.—have an unappreciated talent of a different sort. Common U.K. birds, including chiffchaffs and blackcaps, are playing a real role in the pollination of plants, according ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 5, 2026
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A new study published in Movement Ecology describes how migratory fish passed through the Haringvliet Sluices before the introduction of Kierbeheer (the partial opening of the Haringvliet Sluices to allow limited saltwater ...
Ecology
Jul 3, 2026
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12
During his morning runs, Rod Keogh had no doubt that the whale poo he saw washed up on the beach had value. Science has finally caught up with him. Samples collected by the South Australian man have contributed to a groundbreaking ...
Ecology
Jul 3, 2026
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21
Sightings of humpback whales off Rio de Janeiro's coast are surging as they recover from decimation due to commercial whaling, prompting an acceleration in the demand for whale-watching excursions to spot the huge marine ...
Ecology
Jul 2, 2026
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