THE MARVEL OF MIGRATION

The technology behind the migration of birds is staggering.  The Golden Plover migrates over 4000km from Alaska to Hawaii across the Pacific.  There is no island for refuelling and it can’t swim!  The flight lasts 88 hours and takes an incredible quarter of a million consecutive wing beats.  The tiny bird’s starting weight is 200 grams with 70 grams of fat stored as fuel.  The bird must know exactly how much fuel to take on board and the most economical cruising speed.  Too slow and fuel would be wasted staying airborne.  Too fast and it would be wasted overcoming increased air resistance.  The fact is that most of the birds get there!  The problem scientists had was that their calculations showed the birds would need 82 grams of fat and they only had 70.  On this basis they would crash into the sea a good 800km from Hawaii!  The reason this does not happen is because the birds have been given a vital piece of information, “Do not fly singly but in V formation.”  This saves 23% fuel and gives a margin of 8 grams of fuel to allow for contrary winds!

The famous Danish ornithologist, Finn Salomonsen says, “The bird’s ability to find its way during migration is surely the greatest mystery.  During flight over wide windswept stretches of the oceans a tendency to drift cannot be avoided and must be continually compensated for.  The Creator has equipped birds with a precise ‘autopilot’ to do this.  Any suggestion that evolution has played a part must be totally dismissed.”  This brief article only mentions a fraction of the complexity behind migratory flight.  Speculation cannot compete with the scientific observation of facts or this plain statement of Scripture that “God created … every winged bird … and God saw that it was good.” [ Genesis 1:21 ]