2.  Ethology is the study of animal behaviour (actions and habits) in natural conditions.  Animals are adapted to their natural environment and may act differently when removed so it always best to observe them here.

3.  This is the gradual, non random process in which biological traits become more common in a population or less common in a population due to how they influence the survival of that organism.

4.  All organisms want to reproduce and pass their genes on to the next generation.  If a biological trait gives an organism a better chance to survive, then that organism will likely survive long enough to reproduce and pass on the trait to the next generation.  If the biological trait does NOT give the organism a better chance to survive, then it is likely the organism will die before reproducing and passing the trait to the next generation.

5.  The trait may be an innate behaviour (one that is preprogrammed and in the genes of the animal)

8.  Stop here.

9.  Summer: Live and breed in Germany  Winter: migrate to Mediterranean (Spain)

10. MIGRATION  90% to Mediterranean  10% to UK

11.  Question #1: Is this direction of travel genetic? (Are the birds preprogrammed to migrate in a certain direction or are they just following their parents? Innate Behaviour Learned?)

12.  Eggs from both UK birds and the Spain birds were collected  The young birds were reared (away from their parents)  They were released during migration time and the direction of migration was recorded

13.  SPAIN BIRDS: No matter where they were raised, they flew south-west  UK BIRDS: No matter where they were raised, they flew west.  Therefore, it appears that the direction of migration is genetic!

14.  Question #2: Why would Blackcaps recently start migrating to UK instead of the tradition south-west direction of the Mediterranean? Is there an advantage to this?

15.  Due to climate change (and global warming), UK winters are not as cold or harsh as before.  Until recently, if a blackcap had a gene which led them to migrating in the UK, those blackcaps would likely not survive the harsh UK winter, and thus not pass on the gene to the next generation

16.  But since now UK winters are more tolerable, if a blackcap migrates to the UK, they will be able to survive the winter and reproduce in the following spring, and pass this trait on to the next generation.  Furthermore, since few blackcaps migrate to the UK, there will be less competition for food for these birds and thus may be overall healthier.  So the gene for migrating west continues to exist in the population.