Flyways, Highways in the Sky
by The Science Mouse
When people drive long distances, we usually travel along highways and interstates. These roads are designed so that you can keep going fast for long distances because there are not many stop lights or stop signs. Ramps allow traffic to get on and off without making the other cars slow down. There is a whole system of highways in the United States which generally go either from east to west or from north to south, connecting major cities along the way. When birds travel long distances during their migration, they use a sort of highway system, too. These are called flyways.
According to the msn encarta definition of flyway is a
birds’ migration route: a traditional route taken by migrating birds
In North America, there are four major flyways. Each of them follows the geography of the country which helps birds find their way. The winds in these areas also make updrafts which allow birds to fly high while using less energy.
General location of North American Flyways. Original map from http://www.freeworldmaps.net/
Many birds travel along these flyways, at least for a time, until they get close to their destination. The Pacific, Central and Mississippi flyways actually all come together in southern Texas. This makes southern Texas an exciting place for birdwatching in the spring and fall. People come from all over the world to add new species to their life list, a list of all the birds you have seen.
Next time you see a flock of birds fly overhead, think about the bird highways they travel on. What a great way to travel!
Taking to the airwaves has long been a favorable science fiction whose time may have come by coinciding with the need to escape fossil fuel consumption, and limited taxes for municipalities to do the road works and snow plowing that accompanies ground travel.
In theory, individual transport is the stuff of science fiction and flyways that today are used only by birds.
But if mankind is industrious, perhaps the time is now to test out all those theories of skycraft that helped to make the Jetsons popular. Technology nor education appears to be the problem in bringing those dreams into reality. Perhaps autos may at some point go the way of the train industry as humans take to the air for speed and safety. Designing the flyways and/or building them must be an exciting endeavor for engineers and scientists eager to conquer space in new ways.