Question: An ornithologist is tracking the movement of birds using GPS devices. If 4 birds travel distances of 12 km, 18 km, 24 km, and 30 km respectively in one day, what is the average distance traveled by a bird that day?

Sun, 03 May 2026 04:47:11 +0000

**Discover Insight: Uncovering the Quiet Move of Bird Migration with GPS**
Imagine a single day in the life of remote monitoring—ornithologists guiding long-distance journeys across the sky, not with maps, but with precision GPS marks. What happens when four birds take a daily flight—flights measured not in miles by foot, but through data streams tracking movement over one 24-hour stretch? Their paths span 12, 18, 24, and 30 kilometers. The question then unfolds naturally: *what is the average distance traveled by a bird that day?* Beyond the curious glance, this simple math reflects deeper patterns in wildlife behavior and emerging technology shaping how scientists understand migration. Why is tracking birds with GPS devices capturing growing interest today? Advances in lightweight miniaturized tracking devices now allow researchers to collect detailed movement data without disrupting natural behavior. This shift isn’t just technical—it’s cultural. With rising awareness of climate impacts on ecosystems, public fascination with wildlife movements has surged. Platforms dedicated to conservation now highlight how precise GPS data reveals migration corridors, feeding habits, and survival challenges in real time—resonating with curiosity-driven audiences invested in both nature and innovation. At first glance, averaging 12, 18, 24, and 30 kilometers (total: 84 km) across four birds yields a straightforward average: 84 ÷ 4 = 21 kilometers per bird per day. But behind this clear number lies more nuance than figure alone suggests. Average distance provides a snapshot of typical performance, useful for field comparisons and ecological modeling—but neither accounts for individual variation nor environmental influences. Still, this average offers researchers and enthusiasts a grounded reference point. How GPS tracking actually works shapes trust in these findings. Miniaturized transmitters attached to birds send regular location pings to ground stations, creating a timeline of movement that scientists analyze using statistical averages. By collecting data from multiple birds across varying species and conditions, ornithologists build a more complete picture of collective behavior. Rather than treating one day’s bird as an outlier, trends emerge from repeated measurements, reinforcing patterns that inform conservation strategies and broader ecological understanding.