What is the difference between the following two:

> 
> A young bird was flying in cold weather; after awhile, her wings froze up and she *fell to the ground*.
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> A young bird was flying in cold weather; after awhile, her wings froze up and she *fell on the ground*.
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> 
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I understand that the first conveys the movement toward the ground, while the second merely says that she fell *on* the ground. But I am not sure which one to pick. Is there something more to the usage of these two prepositions?