Definition

Adjective: 1. Not migratory; used of animals that do not migrate: Describing animals that remain in the same region or habitat throughout the year, without undertaking regular long-distance seasonal movements.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective:
  • The nonmigratory birds, like cardinals, can be seen at the feeder all winter long.
  • Unlike their Arctic relatives, this population of geese is nonmigratory and stays in the temperate zone year-round.
  • The study focused on the territorial behavior of nonmigratory fish species in the lake.

Advanced Usage

• In Ecological Context: The term is often used in scientific and conservation contexts to describe resident species, contrasting them with migratory ones. This characteristic affects habitat protection strategies.
  • Conservation plans must account for the needs of both migratory and nonmigratory populations.

Variants and Related Words

• Resident (adj): Often used synonymously in ornithology and ecology to describe nonmigratory animals.
  • The resident herd of deer does not leave the valley.
• Sedentary (adj): Similar in meaning, particularly for species with a fixed, localized pattern of life.

Synonyms

• Resident
• Sedentary
• Stationary (in this specific context)

Antonyms

• Migratory
• Itinerant

Adjective

1. used of animals that do not migrate