How to Understand the Birds [ 33 



brightening with rows of electric lights and alive with home- 

 bound traffic, when the little girl in the stroller looked up and 

 pointed in great excitement: 



"Look, birdies!" 



And there they were large flocks of them, high above the city's 

 hubbub, traveling in steady and sure flight toward their winter 

 destination. The wonderful instinct that keeps birds on their 

 course in long-distance travel has been called a "sixth sense," and 

 it seemed that a similar sense must have prompted this mke-to 

 take her eyes from the noise and excitement on the ground at 

 exactly the right time to catch the nature news high in the sky. 

 Now that she is older we have fun deliberately watching for the 

 "birdies." 



Not all birds migrate. Some you will know as "permanent 

 residents" in your neighborhood. The migratory birds that arrive 

 in the spring and remain through the summer are "summer resi- 

 dents." Fall migrants that remain through the cold season are 

 "winter residents." Other birds you may see only briefly as they 

 pass through to nesting grounds or winter quarters. These you 

 know as "transients." Migratory birds thus are different things 

 to different people, for your summer residents are winter residents 

 in other regions and your transients somewhere become winter 

 and summer residents. 



A confusing fact about migration is that certain well-known 

 migrators do not travel as far south, or north, as we think. Accord- 

 ing to popular belief, the robin, that noted herald of spring, 

 winters in the warm comfort of the South. It is a bit disconcerting 

 therefore, when taking a winter walk, to see a robin hunting 

 food amid frozen surroundings, especially if the boy or girl with 

 you asks: 



"Don't robins go south in winter?" 



The majority of them are reveling in southern sunshine. Many 

 are along the Gulf coast, some are in Mexico, and enormous flocks 

 are in Florida, feeding on holly and mistletoe berries. But a few 

 elect to remain in northern climes with only the friendly ever- 

 greens to shield them. You may also see occasional members of 

 other species, such as the bluebird, song sparrow, meadow lark, 



