A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that the Arctic tern has the longest migration of any living creature on Earth. The study estimates that each Arctic tern flies about 50,000 miles a year, from Antarctica to its breeding ground in Greenland. The scientists found that one group of Arctic terns uses a migration route along the west coast of Africa while another group followed the eastern coast of South America. The authors estimated that in the course of their lifetime, each Arctic tern flies about 1.5 million miles, the equivalent of three round trips to the moon.
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Theodore Cross, the founder of Birders United and the author of Birds of the Sea, Shore, and Tundra, has authored a new book which is available from W.W. Norton Company. Cross’ photographs include birds from four continents. From the tundra of eastern Siberia to the tropical islands of the South Pacific, Cross has captured elegant and unusual birds—from auklets and egrets to gannets and sanderlings—in peak action, be they courting, landing on a perch, plunge diving, or engaged in aerobatics.
The 179 color photographs in this 344-page book are accompanied by gracefully written field notes and fascinating accounts of the birds’ habits and habitat.
You can obtain more information or order the book by clicking here.
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What is the life span of an Arctic Tern? i should think that after flying to the moon and back they'd be a bit tired but we should check them out to understand their lift off methods anyhow.