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Birds may take migration pit stops to boost their immune systems.
Researchers once thought that when birds took breaks on long migration routes, they were stopping to build up their fat reserves for the rest of their journey.
New research, however, suggests another reason: They’re refreshing their immune systems.
In a study published in Biology Letters, researchers found that migratory birds boost their immune systems during breaks from marathon flights. In fall 2021, they studied common redstart, chaffinch and dunnock on Helgoland, an island off the German coast along the North Sea that is a popular stopover for birds on the move each autumn.'>>>
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2023/03/18/migratory-birds-immune-system/?
