COLUMBIA, S.C. — As the days grow shorter and temperatures begin to drop, we're witnessing one of nature's most remarkable phenomena: the migration of birds down south for winter.
Trey Franklin is the director of the W.G. Belser Arboretum, a 10-acre dedicated sanctuary in downtown Columbia. He says, "A whole group of species that are wintering flocks come here, and they’re a great way to get started birding.”
Bird migration is an awe-inspiring spectacle. Combined with instinct and environmental cues, it is a meticulously timed event.
"Chickadees, juncos—there's a number of birds we see as wintering birds. They come here because it’s more hospitable in terms of the environment for them,” Franklin said.
When it's time to migrate, birds use a variety of signals. Shortening daylight hours, cooler temperatures, and changes in food availability all trigger the urge to move.