52 min., 45 min.
Bird migration is one of the miracles of our planet. A phenomenon that has existed for millennia and constantly adapts to climatic changes. Millions of birds traverse our borders, not only at specific times of the year: everyday bird populations are in movement. Some traverse whole continents just to be able to moult in a specific place while others achieve physiological miracles by covering thousands of kilometres without a break to be at a certainplace at a certain time.
This film shows bird migration from a completely new perspective and clarifies that there is more behind the greatest migration on earth than “just” commuting between North and South. Large amounts of birds migrate especially during the peak times in spring and autumn. The diversity of species and their way of living has led to delicate adaptations to enable the utilisation of all possible natural resources. And so, the following principle applies: someone is always on the move.
“Life on the Wing” shows the uncountable varieties of the phenomenon of migration with the help of spectacular protagonists whose stories are told in an intimate way. The connecting element is a meaningful junction on their travels: the bird’s paradise Seewinkel in Austria. The paths of hundreds of bird species intersect in this versatile region. In comparison to an international airport, Seewinkel is a turntable for migrating birds on their unbelievable journeys between Europe, Africa and Asia. High performance flyers such as the ruff meet Seewinkel resident greylag geese and northern lapwings. We meet the European record holder in non-stop flying – the sandpiper – travelling 5500 kilometres without a break, and the nightingale, who loses half its body weight on its travels to Africa.
