Migration

Why do animals travel long distances every year? On this episode of The Children’s Hour, we learn all about migration—how it works, why it happens, and which creatures migrate the farthest. From the skies to the seas, we’ll explore the incredible journeys that animals take in search of food, warmth, and safety.

Find the full episode page at https://childrenshour.org/migration

Our guest is migration expert, author, and researcher Scott Weidensaul. He explains how birds and other animals know when it’s time to migrate, and how they manage to find their way without getting lost. Scott also shares how animals like whales, butterflies, and even sea turtles make epic seasonal journeys. We learn why migration is risky, and how we can help protect animals along their way.

Some birds travel at night to avoid predators and fly through calm air. We hear a special feature from Bird Note called The Music of Birds Migrating at Night. It’s filled with the tiny peeps, squeaks, and whistles birds make as they pass overhead. These special nighttime sounds help scientists learn more about the birds’ migration paths.

We also discover the amazing science behind how birds navigate using the stars and even Earth’s magnetic field. Scott tells us about bar-tailed godwits, which fly more than 8,000 miles nonstop across the ocean, and Arctic terns, which travel over 60,000 miles in a single year!

Learn more about migration, how climate change is affecting animal travel, and how planting native shrubs and trees in your backyard can help migrating birds along their way. You’ll also hear the Kids Crew in conversation with Scott, asking great questions about nature and navigation.

The Children's Hour is produced by The Children's Hour Inc., a New Mexico-based nonprofit. This episode was written and produced by Katie Stone, with production help from Sarah Gabrielli and our intern Thaniel. Our show was recorded at Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque, New Mexico USA by Chad Scheer. Our theme music was composed by C.K. Barlow.

The Children's Hour is distributed by Native Voice One, The Native American Radio Network.

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