Lund researchers track nightingale's Sahara crossing

April 22, 2026

Reported by AI

A nightingale weighing just 25 grams builds energy reserves to cross the Sahara. Lund researchers used miniature sensors to track ten birds on their migration from Sweden to southeastern Africa.

Researchers at Lund University used new miniature sensor technology to study how nightingales manage their long migration over the Mediterranean and Sahara.

The birds brighten Swedish summers but spend winters mainly in southeastern Africa. They fly intensely for four to five nights straight, resting completely during the day.

In the desert, they cannot refuel and survive on reserves built up beforehand, said biology professor Anders Hedenström.

"These birds don't take chances. Their whole strategy is based on having charged enough energy before starting the most inhospitable parts of the journey," Hedenström said in a press release.

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