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Wise Old Birds Teach Migration Route To Young Whooping Cranes

Posted by timothy on from the learned-it-from-watching-you-dad dept.

grrlscientist writes "A recently published study of captive-bred whooping cranes found that young birds learn their migration routes over many years, and migrating alongside older birds improves the migratory efficiency of younger birds." The NPR version of the story is worth a listen, too.

26 comments

  1. Not born with a map? by pipatron · · Score: 3, Funny

    So you mean they are not born with a map? Shocking news.

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    1. Re:Not born with a map? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 0

      I think you've just solved the age-old puzzle of why species in different places had different color patterns. So far, everyone thought it was due to adaptive radiation and stuff, but of course, that is nonsense. Everyone sane knows that God created the world 6e3 years ago or so. Therefore, what logically happened was that birds migrated using the patterns on their bodies as maps, with the same-patterned birds ending up in the same place. Makes perfect sense!

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      Ezekiel 23:20
    2. Re:Not born with a map? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you've just solved the age-old puzzle of why species in different places had different color patterns. So far, everyone thought it was due to adaptive radiation and stuff, but of course, that is nonsense. Everyone sane knows that God created the world 6e3 years ago or so. Therefore, what logically happened was that birds migrated using the patterns on their bodies as maps, with the same-patterned birds ending up in the same place. Makes perfect sense!

      Obviously you're not a fan of design...or intelligence.

    3. Re:Not born with a map? by obarthelemy · · Score: 2

      shockinger that Google haven't come up with an ad supported product for those cranes. Especially since I've been told they are already in the cloud ?

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      The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
    4. Re:Not born with a map? by Oligonicella · · Score: 1

      As you are not a fan of satire.

    5. Re:Not born with a map? by bdwebb · · Score: 1

      Actually Carl, the crazy old crane who mostly keeps to himself and mumbles about 'treasure', conveniently has feathers that form a permanent map similar to a tattoo. The other cranes use this map to navigate and between migrations will teach the younger cranes in a classroom type setting.

    6. Re:Not born with a map? by gronofer · · Score: 1

      Perhaps, in this case, but what about the Long-tailed Cuckoo? How do the newly born birds manage to migrate from New Zealand to Pacific islands thousands of kilometres away, without ever seeing their parents?

  2. African or European? by rossdee · · Score: 1

    The mature birds may be able to carry a coconut

  3. Douglas Adams' "Wise Old Bird" by module0000 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Anyone else reminded of the Wise Old Bird from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minor_The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_characters#The_Wise_Old_Bird

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    Trackball users will be first against the wall.
    1. Re:Douglas Adams' "Wise Old Bird" by tom17 · · Score: 1

      Yes. I came here to comment about this :)

    2. Re:Douglas Adams' "Wise Old Bird" by nitehawk214 · · Score: 1

      I assume the connection was intentional.

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      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
  4. Teaching cranes how to migrate... by alexo · · Score: 2

    Isn't it Putin's job?

  5. I know how this goes. by Type44Q · · Score: 1

    Wise Old Birds Teach Migration Route To Young Whooping Cranes

    ...and then are charged with spying for the enemy. Or was that swans? :p

  6. Young Whooping Cranes by korbulon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Or, in the parlance of the wise old birds, whooper-snappers.

  7. Let's walk down... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    ...and screw them all.

    Is it really a surprise that old birds have a thing or two to teach the young 'uns.

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    You are welcome on my lawn.
  8. Re:I had to read this twice by Chrisq · · Score: 0

    I first read it as a bunch of cougers teaching young boys with hard crane cocks to go down on them..

    Really gotta have that first cup of coffee before hitting slashdot..

    Sounds like you should take a cold shower too...

  9. More information about Cranes by rjune · · Score: 1

    If you have an interest in cranes, go to: https://www.savingcranes.org/

    They are located in Baraboo, Wisconsin, about an hour's drive north of Madison. The visitor program is very good. Take binoculars as the Whooping Crane enclosure is designed to keep them away from visitors.

    1. Re:More information about Cranes by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      you forgot to link to some on topic pictures https://www.google.com/search?q=crane+lifter&num=30&safe=off&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&biw=1473&bih=773

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      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  10. Re:Irrelevant by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    "Although an interesting subject, why is this on Slashdot?"

    It's customary. There are every year some articles about pigeons following the lighted highways instead of the internal map the Great Crane teaches them.

  11. Jailbird by wireloose · · Score: 1

    Not only were they not born knowing the route, but some young cranes in Egypt are suffering now that their "old guy" is incarcerated for spying.

  12. Chippin' away at Speciesism by MXB2001 · · Score: 0

    Humans will have to admit that we're just one of the animals.

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