Mystery Migrator

Migration is a journey as long as the pole-to pole flight of an Arctic Tern (15,000km) or as short as the tree-to-pond hop of a Eastern Gray Treefrog. According to National Geographic, migrating animals rely on a variety of cues (visible and invisible) on their travels to feed, breed and survive. To stay on course, some animals use Earth's magnetic fields and the sun as a compass. They also need a mental map to reach the same place each year. How animals create these maps is unclear but it is thought that young birds for example, may have instinctive knowledge of direction and distance. During their first migration, they build a map based on landscape and smells.

In celebration of these extraordinary migrators, we invite you to play "Mystery Migrator." The object of this game is to guess the animal from the clues given on the LVA's Facebook page. You can make a guess by leaving a comment under the post. Please use the full name of the animal when you respond with your guess and check frequently to see if you were right! There are no prizes for the people who guess correctly, but you get bragging rights until the next Mystery Migrator is posted! Good luck!

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MIGRATOR #1

I am a bird but you would not guess that from my name. I am loud and flashy but most people think I am quite beautiful for a ragged-crested bird. I can't tell you my colours - that would give me away, but I will tell you that when you identify me, you might be reminded of an article of human clothing. Who am I?​​​

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See Some Examples