Unbelievable Bird Journeys

April 16 2019

#Wildlife watching #Animals #GoBirding #Bird watching

While every migration is an epic feat of endurance, some species really go the extra mile.

THE FARTHEST: The Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) – BirdLife’s emblem – has by far the longest migration known in the animal kingdom, traveling 90,000 km (56,000 miles) from pole to pole every year.

THE HIGHEST: For years, it was thought that the Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) migrated at the highest altitude, crossing the Himalayas at 7,000 m (23,000 ft). However, a Ruppell’s Vulture (Gyps rueppelli) has recently been reported soaring at 11,000 m (36,000 ft): the height of a commercial airliner.

THE SMALLEST: The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), weighing in at just 3.8 grams (0.13 ounces), is among the tiniest migratory birds, capable of flying more than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) down the Americas.

THE LONG HAUL: The Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) holds the record for the largest non-stop flight of any bird, traveling over 11,000 km (6,800 miles) over nine days without food or sleep.

THE TECHNIQUE: Birds can navigate using the sun, the stars, the earth’s magnetic field, and even their sense of smell. This information is imprinted on the memories of young birds during their first migration.

For further information on the miracle of bird migration, visit "The Miracle of Migration".