Secret Migrations

Every year, the pipistrelle bat, the painted lady butterfly, the Eleonora's falcon and the Blackcap undertake mysterious migrations. From North to South and East to West, from Scandinavia to South Africa and from the Baltic to the Atlantic, these animals' journeys have crisscrossed all of Europe and Africa for thousands of years. These discreet journeys cover thousands of kilometres, and trigger puzzles that scientists are still trying to understand today. Just over our heads, or a few miles from our coasts, some of these migrations bear witness to the species' extraordinary ability to adapt, incorporating changes that have been slowly forged through evolution.

Others testify to the ever-increasing influence of man's impact on the environment. With the help of field experts and state-of-the-art technology, we will track these astonishing species and hope to reveal the mysteries and secret pathways of their migrations Thanks to miniature transmitters, satellite monitoring and DNA analysis, this series uncovers incredible journeys, unsuspected behaviour and habits that are crucial to the survival of these great migrators.