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TED-Ed

The spear-wielding stork who revolutionized science - Lucy Cooke

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In 1822, Count von Bothmer shot down a stork in Germany. However, the bird had already been impaled by a yard-long wooden spear. The stork had been speared in Africa and then flew over 2,500 km. This astonishing flight proved to be an essential clue in a mystery that had plagued scientists for centuries: the seasonal disappearance of birds. Lucy Cooke digs into the discovery of bird migration.

Additional Resources for you to Explore

Birds migration is only one of the phenomenon observed in Lucy Cooke's The Truth About Animals. Check out her book to learn more about wildlife observations, including the century old mystery of Eel Sex. 

No lesson about birds would be complete without a link to Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This site is like the CIA World Factbook, except it’s strictly about birds, and has nests full of pages about Migration to check out.

One of the early theories about Migration was about transmutation. Have you ever heard of birding? How about birdwatching?

Regardless of your intensity level, both are great ways for someone to get involved and observe birds wherever they live and to share the experiences and findings with others. The Audubon Society is an incredible source of information for beginner to expert birders and birdwatchers.

Birds may make some of the longest migrations, but there are many other animals that make similarly arduous journeys. National Geographic has created a resource that describes some of the most impressive migrations on the planet.  After all, he was the owner of the world’s first bird observatory and a huge proponent of the study of birds.

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Meet The Creators

Educator
Lucy Cooke
Director
Mateus Moretto
Narrator
Addison Anderson
Storyboard Artist
Mateus Moretto
Animator
Luciano do Amaral, Mateus Moretto
Art Director
Luciano do Amaral, Mateus Moretto
Sound Designer
Bamm Bamm Wolfgang
Music
Gavin Dodds, Bamm Bamm Wolfgang
Special Thanks
Will Gourley
Director of Production
Gerta Xhelo
Editorial Director
Alex Rosenthal
Producer
Bethany Cutmore-Scott
Editorial Producer
Dan Kwartler
Script Editor
Dan Kwartler
Fact-Checker
Eden Girma

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