Skip to main content

3 bizarre (and delightful) ancient theories about bird migration - Lucy Cooke

389,859 Views

2,105 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

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.

What was the one thing von Bothmer didn’t do once he found proof that birds were migrating instead of mysteriously vanishing every winter?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

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

More from Awesome Nature