Where do Arctic terns migrate to?
Antarctica
A small, slender gray-and-white bird with angular wings, the Arctic Tern is well known for its long yearly migration. It travels from its Arctic breeding grounds to Antarctica where it enjoys the Antarctic summer, covering around 25,000 miles.
How long does it take for an Arctic tern to migrate?
While the migration south to the winter quarters was conducted over a period of three months (average 93 days), the northbound migration back to the breeding sites was much faster. The terns covered the 25,700 km from the winter site north to 60º N in an average of 40 days.
What do arctic terns do while migrating?
Arctic terns are made for migration. They prefer to glide in the air for most of the year. They are so lightweight, they let ocean breezes carry them great distances without having to use a lot of energy flapping their wings. Arctic terns can sleep and eat, all while gliding.
What bird migrates 25000 miles a year?
In terms of distance, arctic terns are thought to have the longest yearly migration of any animal. Every year they travel from their Arctic breeding grounds to Antarctica and back—a distance of at least 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers).
How do Arctic terns prepare for migration?
Rather than flying in a straight line, though, they actually follow more of a pinball strategy. They tend to bounce around, even from continent to continent, while still generally heading south. Sometimes they’ll even stop in an area for up to a month to rest and refuel their energy reserves for their long migration.
What do Arctic terns eat migration?
Arctic Terns take small fish from the surface of the water or plunge-dive just below the surface. They eat a variety of small fish species generally less than 6 inches long including sandlances, sandeels, herring, cod, and smelt. They also grab insects from the air or the surface of the water.
Which bird makes the longest migration?
arctic tern
The tiny arctic tern makes the longest migration of any animal in the world, flying about two times farther than previously thought, a new study says. Miniature new transmitters recently revealed that the 4-ounce (113-gram) bird follows zigzagging routes between Greenland and Antarctica each year.
Which bird does the longest migration?
The Arctic tern
Bottom line: The Arctic tern is the bird that migrates the farthest. In its lifetime it can fly as far as three times the distance from Earth to the moon.
Do Arctic terns stop during migration?
Egevang was surprised to find that the birds often stop for a month in the open North Atlantic Ocean, probably to “fuel up” on fish and small crustaceans before setting off to cross the tropics. Arctic terns also follow a zigzagging route on their spring trips back to Greenland.
Do Arctic terns rest during migration?
Arctic terns also face the potential loss of their habitat to drilling in places like Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of their preferred places to rest during their long migration.
Which bird has the longest migration distance in the world?