Word of the Day: Zugunruhe

Duncan — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 13:20:12 -0400

Zugunruhe, seasonally occurring restlessness and anxiety, is a great word for describing animals and their urge to migrate.
The phenomenon of Zugunruhe is discussed by Barbara Helm and Eberhard Gwinner in their PLOS Biology paper Migratory Restlessness (Zugunruhe) in an Equatorial Nonmigratory Bird. They studied African Stonechats and found that these non-migratory birds display Zugunruhe, despite never migrating. One conclusion they draw is that a readiness to move is common in birds, regardless of their migratory behaviour. Zugunruhe, also known as Itchy Feet, is a common behavioural trait of scientists too, though I wonder how it manifests itself? Perhaps in “nocturnal activities” like the Stonechats described in the study? Or never-ending PostDoc positions?

nodalpoint.org - Word of the Day: Zugunruhe - Comments

Word of the Day: Zugunruhe