By Anupum Pant
A few species of bird seem to disappear during the winter and this is something which has made people think in the past. Charles Morton was one of those people who pondered about it and came up with a theory. According to his paper (birds in the moon) published in the year 1703, birds go for a vacation to the moon during winters. Yes, he estimated the moon was 200,000 miles away and said that the birds were able to complete this feat within 60 days. [more]
One thing he wasn’t wrong about was the amount birds travel. Arctic tern for instance is the bird that covers the maximum distance during migration. They literally fly from the Arctic to the Antarctic, and back in a single year. In one year they travel about 50,000 miles. Considering the amount they fly, it proves to be a good form of exercise for them.
Aristotle believed that a kind of bird changed into some other type during winters. Others thought they grew on trees and blossomed only during spring.
But that obviously isn’t true. This is where they actually go and how they do it…