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.
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
0
19
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
0
11
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
0
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
0
22
A comprehensive 15-year study published in Biodiversity Data Journal details the growing threat of extreme weather to white storks (Ciconia ciconia) in Bulgaria. The research, which is part of the topical collection "Restoration ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 1, 2026
0
10
Scientists have spotted two humpback whales that made separate, record-breaking crossings between Australia and Brazil.
Plants & Animals
Jun 27, 2026
0
114
Aotearoa New Zealand whitebait can rapidly switch their life cycles in response to sudden environmental changes, new University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka research shows. The research is published in the journal Nature ...
Evolution
Jun 26, 2026
0
16
A new generation of lion collars in Tanzania's Serengeti shows that human-wildlife encounters are becoming increasingly common. Researchers from Leiden University are working with local wildlife organizations and technology ...
Ecology
Jun 25, 2026
0
6
New research indicates that sea turtles seem to navigate across hundreds of miles of open ocean using Earth's magnetic field. Previous experimental studies suggested that sea turtles use geomagnetism to navigate, but this ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 25, 2026
0
13
Until recently, researchers were unable to conduct satellite-tracking studies on juvenile turtles because of their small body sizes and immediate dispersal into the ocean, leaving this period of their lives enigmatic and ...
