Where Are All the Migratory Birds Going?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090216-bird-migration-missions.html

This article was written by Hayley Rutger for National Geographic Magazine on February 6, 2009. It is about migratory birds and the decline in their return after migration. Amongst the most adept air travelers in the world, migrant birds hold an unknown mystery as to where they go in the winter and the hardships that they face during their journey.

According to ornithologists, about 80% of all North American forest birds make recurrent seasonal expeditions. There are major breaches in the studies being performed on migrant birds and ornithologists are just beginning to answer questions about ability, habits and risks in their recent studies on tracking birds beyond their end summer destinations.

In order to try and solve the problem of declining bird populations, researchers are trying to track the patterns and routes that these birds fly. Unfortunately hazards such as fishing lines, oil spills and deforestation have been found to be a major cause of bird deaths in certain breeding spots of these animals.