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Birds: Migration

Discover strange facts about bird migration: arctic terns, bar-tailed godwits, sandhill cranes, and the species that fly tens of thousands of kilometres...

8 articles
Arctic Tern Migration: The Longest Journey of Any Animal ...
Migration

Arctic Tern Migration: The Longest Journey of Any Animal ...

Arctic terns fly 70,000 km yearly from pole to pole. Expert guide to the longest migration ever measured and how this 100-gram bird navigates.

Apr 4, 2026 10 min read
Bird Migration: The Longest Journeys in the Animal Kingdom
Migration

Bird Migration: The Longest Journeys in the Animal Kingdom

Explore the science of bird migration, from the Arctic tern's 44,000-mile annual journey to the bar-tailed godwit's non-stop 7,000-mile flight. Expert-written guide covering V-formation aerodynamics, magnetic navigation, flyways, altitude records, and the threats facing migratory birds worldwide.

Apr 3, 2026 25 min read
The Longest Animal Migrations on Earth
Migration

The Longest Animal Migrations on Earth

Expert guide to the longest animal migrations on Earth. Covers the Arctic tern, bar-tailed godwit, monarch butterfly, wildebeest, and whale shark migrations, plus the tracking technology that reveals how animals navigate thousands of kilometers.

Apr 2, 2026 11 min read
Arctic Tern
Migration

Arctic Tern

Everything about the Arctic tern: the pole-to-pole migration, size, diet, breeding colonies, lifespan, and the strange facts that make Sterna paradisaea the longest-migrating animal on Earth.

Jul 5, 2025 15 min read
Barn Swallow
Migration

Barn Swallow

Everything about the barn swallow: size, habitat, diet, migration, nesting, tail-streamer biology, conservation, and the strange facts that make Hirundo rustica the most widespread swallow on Earth.

May 8, 2025 13 min read
Bar-Tailed Godwit
Migration

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Everything about the bar-tailed godwit: the 13,560 km non-stop flight, Alaska to New Zealand migration, size, diet, breeding, and the strange facts that make Limosa lapponica the world record holder for non-stop bird flight.

Mar 9, 2025 17 min read
Sandhill Crane
Migration

Sandhill Crane

Everything about the sandhill crane: size, habitat, migration, courtship dance, subspecies, reproduction, conservation, and the strange facts that make Antigone canadensis one of the oldest bird lineages alive.

Jan 7, 2025 15 min read
Wandering Albatross
Migration

Wandering Albatross

Everything about the wandering albatross: wingspan, dynamic soaring, Southern Ocean range, breeding cycle, 120,000 km annual migrations, longline bycatch, and the strange facts behind Diomedea exulans - the bird with the largest wingspan alive.

Dec 21, 2024 15 min read