and more roundabout than that taken by the blackpoll warbler?" The 

 explanation is simple. The swallow is a day migrant while the 

 warbler travels at night. The migration of the warbler is made up of a 

 series of long nocturnal flights alternated with days of rest and 

 feeding in favorable localities. The swallow, on the other hand, starts 

 its migration several weeks earlier and catches each day's ration of 

 flying insects during its aerial evolutions, while slowly migrating. 

 The 2,000 extra miles flown along the insect-teeming shores of the 

 Gulf of Mexico are exceeded by the great distances covered by these 

 birds in normal pursuit of food. 



Although most of our smaller birds make their longest flights at 

 night, close observation shows travel is continued to some extent by 

 day. During the latter half of a migratory season birds may show 

 evidence of an overpowering desire to hasten to their breeding 

 grounds. At this time flocks of birds maintain a movement in the 

 general direction of the seasonal journey while feeding on or near the 

 ground. Sometimes they travel hurriedly, and while their flights 

 may be short, they can cover an appreciable distance in the course of a 

 day. 



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