2016-07-22 Cuckoo migration ‘now more perilous’ 布谷鸟迁徙路线更加艰险

文字稿

在英国，布谷鸟的数量在过去25年间减少了70%。为解开其数量骤减的谜团，研究人员为一批布谷鸟装上了极小的追踪系统。科学家发现这群鸟会沿两条迁徙路线飞至非洲中部，且其中一条路线非常危险。请听 Victoria Gill 的报道。

The signature sound of Britain’s spring is fading. The number of cuckoos that breed here has declined by more than 70% over the past 25 years. To find out why, researchers tagged male birds with tiny GPS backpacks.

Over five years, the team tagged 42 birds tracking a total of 56 round-trip migrations. The scientists found that the birds took two different routes to Central Africa – an easterly route via Italy and a more direct route via Spain.

Despite it being shorter, more birds were lost along this western route. This could mean that increasingly dry summers in Spain linked to climate change are having an impact on the birds’ ability to find food. The team will continue to track cuckoos to work out what might help more of them survive this increasingly perilous journey.

词汇表

signature 特征鲜明的
cuckoos 布谷鸟，杜鹃
breed 繁殖，繁衍
tagged （为跟踪、观察或识别）给（动物）别上标牌
GPS backpacks 全球卫星定位装置包
round-trip 往返（旅程）的
migrations （动物）迁徙
easterly 向东的
climate change 气候变化
work out 弄懂，想清楚
perilous 极危险的

测验 

请听报道并回答下列问题。

1. What did researchers do to find out why the number of cuckoos in Britain had declined?

2. True or false? The scientists tracked a total of 56 one-way journeys.

3. Which two routes did these birds take to Central Africa?

4. What could be the possible reason why the journeys via Spain were so risky, according to the research?

答案

1. What did researchers do to find out why the number of cuckoos in Britain had declined?
The researchers tagged male birds with GPS backpacks to track their migrations.

2. True or false? The scientists tracked a total of 56 one-way journeys.
False. The scientists tracked 56 round-trip journeys over five years’ time.

3. Which two routes did these birds take to Central Africa?
These birds took an easterly route via Italy and a westerly one via Spain to Central Africa.

4. What could be the possible reason why the journeys via Spain were so risky, according to the research?
The increasingly dry summers in the country linked to climate change are affecting the birds’ ability to find food.