The record-breaking bird, just 100 grams in weight, returned last month to an island off England’s northeastern coast after finishing the longest migration flight ever in history. The bird, which is an Artic Tern, was among 29 birds that were electronically tagged by researchers at Newcastle University using ultra-light geolocators.
A statement reveals that the researchers were working with BBC’s Springwatch television show.
The bird with the incredible record set off in July 2015 from its habitat on the Farne Island off the Northumberland coast. It then trailed the west coast of Africa before flying over the Indian Ocean for a long while.
It then arrived at Antarctica, sailing over the Weddell Sea in the month of February, before going back to the north of the United Kingdom. On 4th May, it arrived back to its habitat. The entire journey amounted to approximately 60,000 miles (96,000 kilometers).
Researchers claim that over the record-breaking Artic Tern could end up flying over 1.8 million miles over the course of its lifetime. Chris Redfern, a lead researcher remarked, “For a bird that’s less in weight compared to an iPhone, that’s an outstanding feat.”
About Artic Tern
The Artic Tern, also known as Sterna paradisaea in scientific name, is quite a tiny bird, which has the ability to attain bewildering feats in flight. They can easily be identified by their tiny rounded heads, which are enveloped in a smooth, black plumage, while the other parts of the body are all white.
Another great fact about the Artic Tern is that it has a bright yellow beak that changes color to red during the mating season. However, the most amazing thing about this bird specie is their migration. The Artic Tern utilizes majority of its lifetime in flight and fishing. It is very rare to find them on land. They even scavenge for food in flight mode- they trap insects in mid-air of dive down over the surface of the water to catch a fish.
The only time you’ll see an Artic Tern on land is during the breeding season.
They gather in colonies of more than 50 birds and are known to be overly hostile while tending to their offspring. These extraordinary birds are born to fly; it only takes 25 days for a hatchling to fledge the nest and begin its life in the air.
The hatchling joins its parents on the world renowned Artic Tern migration as soon as it spreads its wings. A study shows that these astonishing birds fly about 70,900 kilometers annually. It’s like flying over the moon and back countless times over the bird’s lifetime collectively.
This utterly astonishing specie of birds is a natural wonder, which continues to fascinate and lure researchers and scientists. Undoubtedly, the Artic Tern takes the crown of all of the earth’s migratory animals.