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 look for some wildlife!

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Blackpoll Warblers need fuel

So birds beat the best human long-distance athletes when migrating huge distances. But how do they get from here to there? Well, to begin with, they have to have enough energy to fuel their trip. One strategy for many birds, including Blackpoll Warblers, is to EAT, EAT, EAT.

Body fat is stored fuel that animals can burn to provide energy, so leading up to and during migration, these birds lay on the calories and store up fat. While they're over land, they can refuel from time to time. During their marathon flight over the ocean, there's no chance to eat, drink or rest. So that body fat becomes their spare fuel tank, allowing them to get the equivalent of 720,000 miles per gallon.

Broad-winged Hawk

Not all birds can store enough fat. Broad-winged Hawks, for example, can only add so much fat. And because their hunting style is to sit and wait for prey, they don't have enough time to refuel much on their journey. So how exactly do they make their journey to Central and South America? Believe it or not, they soar on solar energy.

Migrating flock

When the sun heats up the air on our planet, the warm air rises. Then these birds ride the column of warm air, called a thermal, like a solar elevator up thousands of feet in the sky. What do they do when they've soared to the top of the thermal? Glide to the next one and catch another ride up. Soar. Glide. Repeat. All the way to Central or South America. By coasting on the solar thermals, Broad-winged Hawks don't have to flap much to move along, so they save a lot of energy. When you're got several thousand miles to cover, every bit helps.