Subject: Re: Siberian Accentor
Date: Feb 20 11:15:18 1997
From: jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca - jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca


** Reply to note from tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu, 20 Feb 1997 00:07:33 PST


> Why do Asian bird species migrate to North America? This bird apparently
> migrated a similar distance as it would in Eurasia, just a few degrees off.
> Did this bird simply get misoriented by 130 degrees or 90 degrees and fly off in
> the wrong direction for the winter? Could this be one of the birds that
> wintered in BC last year (a genetic propensity for misorientation). (I almost
> banded the bird). I like Dave DeSante's mirror image misorientation theory.

I think it is just a matter of getting started on the wrong direction and finding
water on its right instead of left on the way south. No real reason for it
to complicate things by flying back over the ocean so it stays on dry land.
Incidentally, if there was an accentor in BC last winter, I would like to hear
about it. News to me.

- Jack

Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca