Migration is the movement of people or animals from one place to another, usually in large numbers and often following a regular pattern or in response to changing conditions.

Birds migrate thousands of miles each year, flying south when winter arrives and returning north when spring comes. Monarch butterflies migrate from Canada to Mexico and back again, following a journey their ancestors took before them. Whales migrate between feeding grounds in cold waters and breeding grounds in warmer seas. Scientists track these animal migrations to understand how creatures survive and adapt to their environments.

People migrate too. Throughout history, millions have moved to new countries seeking better opportunities, fleeing danger, or following work. Irish families migrated to America during the potato famine of the 1840s. Millions of people from South Asia have migrated to Britain and the Gulf states for work. In the United States, the Great Migration saw millions of African Americans move from the rural South to northern and western cities between 1916 and 1970. Today, people still migrate for jobs, education, or to reunite with family.

Someone who migrates is called a migrant. When discussing the broad pattern or process, we use migration. The movement might be temporary, like migrant farmworkers who follow harvest seasons, or permanent, like families who emigrate from one country and immigrate to another country.