Backyard Birds store ornithologist Birdman Gray rounded up a group to participate in a once-a-year event: the fall migration of birds. Having observed birds at American Village senior living center on 54th Street monthly for an entire year, we were primed to watch for birds that usually don't live in Broad Ripple but instead pass through enroute from northern summer habitats to winter destinations in the southern hemisphere.

We were schooled to know we have four types of bird residents in this area: Permanent (cardinals, sparrows, house finches), Summer (purple martins, wrens, ruby-throated hummingbirds), Winter (juncos), and Transient (warblers). Birds take their cues to move south from cooling temperatures, lower humidity, and the end of breeding season.

It is a wonder that birds migrate long distances without navigational aids. Some interesting migration facts:

• Ruby-throated hummingbirds can fly 500 to 600 miles non-stop over the Gulf of Mexico
• Barn swallows will fly 350 miles across Caribbean waters non-stop
• Blue-winged teals will fly 3,800 miles in 30 days - from Alberta, Canada to Venezuela
• American robins migrate 3,000 miles in 78 days
• Artic terns travel 20,000 miles round-trip from the Artic to Antarctica, passing over coasts of America, Africa, and Europe

Fall migration is filled with mystery and awe. For more information, you may want to check out the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center online at https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/introduction-migratory-birds.

This is a great time of year to get out in your yard and take note of birds that are leaving and those passing through during migratory days. You can participate in the fall migration by providing food, water, habitat, and/or shelter to help birds conserve and replenish their energy during their journey.