Migrating birds use celestial cues to navigate, much as sailors of yore used the sun and stars to guide them. But unlike humans, birds also detect the magnetic field generated by Earth's molten core and use it to determine their position and direction.
Here's an amazing fact: Adult robins have a magnetic compass in their right eye that allows them to sense the direction of the Earth's magnetic field, and navigate when all other landmarks are obscured
Birds that nest in the Northern Hemisphere tend to migrate northward in the spring to take advantage of burgeoning insect populations, budding plants and an abundance of nesting locations. As winter approaches and the availability of insects and other food drops, the birds move south again.
Learn more about direction birds here:
