Arctic Terns

Don't let the size of an Arctic tern fool you! An adult Arctic tern measures 12-15 inches long. It only weighs 2/3 of a pound! But this petite bird is the world's most accomplished marathon flier.

Each year around August or September, Arctic terns leave their summer home in the Arctic. They avoid the harsh winter climate. They fly south, crossing the equator all the way to Antarctica! The seasons in the northern hemisphere are the exact opposite from those in the southern hemisphere. In Antarctica, Arctic terns get to enjoy summer again once they finish this long, tiring journey. As autumn comes to Antarctica around May, Arctic terns leave again. This time, they head north, back to the Arctic.

The biannual roundtrip journey covers around 25,000 miles. That effort gives these birds two prestigious titles. The first is "The Migration Champion." They win that one because they migrate the longest distance of any birds. The second is "The Most Daylight Winner", since they enjoy more summer days with lots of daylight than any other bird species.