Bird Migration Quiz: Flyways, Night Flights, Cranes and Navigation

Ten Cornell Lab-backed questions about flyways, night movement, celestial navigation, stopovers and bird radar.

Choose one answer per question. There’s no timer. You can skip a question; unanswered questions count as incorrect.

QUESTION 01When do many North American migratory songbirds make their long seasonal flights?

At nightOnly at noonOnly at sunriseOnly during thunderstorms

QUESTION 02What is a flyway in bird migration?

A nest made on a cliffA frequently used migration routeA kind of featherA bird's resting heartbeat

QUESTION 03Which North American river valley is associated with a major inland bird flyway?

Colorado River onlyHudson River onlyMississippi River ValleyRio Grande only

QUESTION 04Which tool can help night-migrating birds establish direction?

Subway mapsOcean buoysStreet addressesStar patterns

QUESTION 05What does bird orientation mean in migration research?

Finding a direction of travelBuilding a nestChanging feather colorMeasuring an egg

QUESTION 06What does bird navigation add beyond simple orientation?

Swimming without feathersFinding a route toward a destinationIdentifying a bird songPredicting rainfall from clouds

QUESTION 07Which state's Platte River is famous for major spring Sandhill Crane gatherings?

FloridaMaineNebraskaHawaii

QUESTION 08What can strong artificial lights cause some migrating birds to do?

Instantly stop migrating foreverGrow extra feathersChange speciesCircle and gather around illuminated areas

QUESTION 09Which technology helps BirdCast estimate birds moving over the United States at night?

Weather radarUnderwater sonarTraffic cameras onlySeismographs

QUESTION 10Do all North American birds migrate the same distance and along the same route?

Yes, all fly to one countryNo, strategies vary greatly by speciesYes, all use one coastlineYes, all travel only in winter

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