This is Bird Note.

In spring, millions of songbirds migrate north across the Gulf of Mexico, from the Yucatan to the southeastern U.S.

One author describes this crossing as one of the greatest crapshoots in bird migration. When the weather

is fair and tailwinds strong, the flight, while metabolically taxing, is completed quite handily.

But when birds encounter rainstorms or headwinds, they struggle mightily, and many may die.

After fighting sustained bad weather,

birds reaching the U.S. coast are exhausted and famished.

They drop into the nearest shrubs and trees by the thousands.

Picture a shrub loaded with colorful tanagers and orioles,

such as these orchard orioles.

Okay. and orioles, such as these orchard orioles, or a tree full of brilliant warblers. These are Tennessee warblers.

But why risk exhaustion or a watery demise

when birds could instead migrate north along the length of Mexico?

It's likely that many birds evolved to take the potentially perilous transgulf route

because it is direct and considerably faster. The transgulf flight saves nearly a week of travel time, putting birds on the best

breeding territories more quickly, and thus increasing their chances of raising more young.

Find more about Transgolf migration at birdnote.org. I'm Mary McCann.