Before winter comes, many different kinds of birds head south. How do they know when to migrate?

How do they know where to go? People have wondered about migration since ancient times.

Why do birds migrate?

They fly south because they can't get enough food in winter.

They feed on seeds and insects, but the food disappears in winter.

So, they have to migrate to find food more easily. Then, does every bird migrate?

Not all birds migrate. Some birds don't need to migrate because they can find insects in the trees.

How far do birds travel?

They usually move hundreds of kilometers. One of the longest travelers is the hummingbird.

This small bird travels more than 3,200 kilometers from Canada to Mexico.

Some birds are lucky to move only a few kilometers over the mountains.

How do birds find their way?

Usually birds use the sun as a compass.

The sun is in different places in the sky at different times of the day.

They use this information to decide where to fly.

After the sun sets, they use the stars. Some birds use the magnetic field of the earth.

Others use the smell of the sea or the sound of waves as a guide.

Amazingly, most birds follow the same course year after year.

What are some of the dangers to migrating birds?

Some birds are caught in storms and are driven off course.

Sometimes they are hunted by other animals.

However, human activities are the number one danger to migrating birds.

Many wetlands are disappearing because of people.

Many birds are losing places to live in winter.

City lights are sometimes very bright, so migrating birds can lose their way.

Many birds are also hunted for food or sport.

Once a small bird, Twitter, lived in the forest.

He always sang, "T-t-t-witt! T-t-t-witt!"

One day, he had a chance to listen to the songs of the other birds.

Their music sounded beautiful.

So, he decided to change his song.

After Twitter listened to another bird's song, he repeated it exactly, "Ta-weee! Ta-weee!"

Some time later, Skye, the blue bird, came to him and asked,

"Is that really you, Twitter? You don't sound like yourself."

"I decided to sing like Kiwi today," answered Twitter.

"Tomorrow I want to sing like Sparrow. Skye, I can sing like you!"

Twitter tried to sing like Skye but coughed a lot.

"That was good!" Skye said.

"But I want you to sing in your own way. Your song is more beautiful."

"Really?" Twitter said, "Singing like other birds hurts my throat. Thank you, my friend. I'll change my song back to my old one!"

From then on, Twitter always sang in his own lovely voice, "T-t-t-witt! T-t-t-witt!"

Once again the forest was full of beautiful songs from all the different birds.

In order to have a happy family, it is important to understand your family.

Here are some suggestions.

1. Spend time together.

If you do things together and have fun together, you can better understand your family.

So plan some family time, like going to the movies or eating out together.

2. Respect your family.

Never get angry if your family member has a different opinion to you.

Make everyone have a turn to talk.

If you feel upset with someone, talk to the person and try to solve it in a calm way.

3. Help each other.

When you see your brothers, sisters or parents need help, help them.

Do some housework for your parents and help your little brother do his homework.