Which Birds in North America Migrate?

Seed-eating birds can easily find nourishment in winter, while insect eaters like the swallow must migrate to survive. As a result, the Mississippi Flyway and other North American migration routes teem with avian traffic as soon as cold weather approaches. Flying distances vary; for example, the Arctic tern flies from the Canadian arctic to the Antarctic region. But the golden-crowned kinglet makes a more modest journey from the coniferous forests of Canada to Connecticut.

  1. Parulidae and Vireonidae

    • Wood warblers, of the Parulidae family, are a type of American bird. The northern parula spends the summer in the eastern United States and the southern part of eastern Canada. As winter approaches, it migrates to Florida, southern Mexico, the West Indies or Central America. The yellow-throated vireo, family Vireonidae, has similar migration habits, but some go further south to South America, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Other wood warblers that spend the summer in the United States and winter mostly south of the border include the American redstart, the ovenbird and the yellow-breasted chat.

    Geese

    • The range of the Canada goose extends throughout the United States and Canada. In winter they migrate to the southern U.S. and Mexico, according to National Geographic. Most barnacle geese live in the Old World, but some nest in northeast Greenland and migrate to the British Isles in winter. Another migratory North American species is the snow goose.

    Cranes

    • The whooping crane and the sandhill crane are migratory North American birds. Whooping cranes migrate from their refuge in Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada and spend the winter in Texas, according to Operation Migration.

    The Thrush Family

    • The robin, a member of the thrush family, is a familiar summer resident in Wisconsin, Minnesota and other states, but it flies south for the winter. Other members of the thrush family with migratory habits are the bluebird and the thrush itself.

    Killdeers and Meadowlarks

    • Killdeers and meadowlarks have an extensive range with some species even living in South America. Those that spend the summer in the prairies of Minnesota and other northern states fly south when the whether gets cold.

    Ruddy Turnstone

    • Many birds fly to the Arctic tundra in spring. Since this area has few predators, they mate and raise their young in relative safety. Then they fly south when cold weather approaches. A good example is the ruddy turnstone, which nests on the tundra and then spends the winter in the British Isles and Europe and northern Africa, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

    Junco

    • Some juncos in the northern United States do not fly south for the winter; instead, they spend the winter in such states as Minnesota and Connecticut. When warm weather approaches, they migrate north to Canada, according to "Going Wild" by Robert Winkler.

    Puffins

    • Puffins raise their young in burrows on islands off the coast of Alaska in summer and spend the winter in the open ocean of the North Pacific. Other birds have similar habits, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.