Tiny Backpacks Reveal the Secret, Sometimes Circuitous Migrations of Small Songbirds

Tiny backpacks reveal the secret, sometimes circuitous migrations of small songbirds

A tracker must be light enough to not weigh down a bird that weighs only as much as a spoonful of sugar. Thor VeenSquinting through my binoculars, I scanned the dense branches of a black spruce, trying my best to catch a glimpse of the thin legs of a small black, white and yellow songbird. I was on the hunt for a yellow-rumped warbler – a bird affectionately called “butter-butt” by bird-watchers after the distinctive buttery yellow patch of feat…

Researchers give warblers tiny backpacks to learn more about bird migration

The devices are light enough to be carried by small migratory songbirds, which often weigh less than a spoonful of sugar.