The Secret of Migrating Birds - Tryst at the Red Sea

The high concentration of migrating birds in a very limited area provides an ideal opportunity for researchers. Yet the migration phenomenon still poses a mystery to scientists. Why do birds fly thousands of kilometres over continents? What is the origin of bird migration? By means of small backpack transmitters fitted to the birds, the researcher Ran Nathan tracks them in time and space as with a “black box”. This is possible thanks to highly sensitive GPS satellite telemetry. During the migrating season, the skies above Israel are crowded, and the flyways that birds have used for millions of years cross the flight paths of aircraft. Even the collision with a pelican can be dangerous for a plane. It is like a bullet. The ornithologist Yossi Leshem has come up with a solution. He has developed an effective early warning system which is indispensible for airports particularly in coastal regions, where the migrating birds are concentrated.