Tiny Backpacks Track Songbirds' Secret Migration Routes

The study, which fitted miniature backpacks containing light-level geolocators to songbirds, found that the birds often take unexpected paths during their seasonal journeys. The devices, weighing less than a paperclip, recorded light levels to estimate the birds' positions over time. Results showed that some species travel thousands of miles, making detours that were previously unknown. The findings could help conservation efforts by identifying critical stopover sites and migration corridors.