This is not only the most incredible journey ever undertaken on our planet, but it is also a revelation of the extraordinary adaptation, agility and ability of the bold, intrepid travellers on this odyssey.   
 
Every year, a phenomenal round trip of up to 60,000 miles is undertaken by millions of Arctic Terns. These small yet mighty seabirds hold the record for the longest migration in the animal kingdom. They fly from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica and back in order to experience two summers when food is abundant.  
 
During an Artic Tern’s life span, which can reach 30 years, it will have flown about 1.5 million miles, the equivalent of travelling to the moon and back several times or around the Earth 60 times. No single human has accomplished this, but nature has created this incredible bird that can, even though it weighs less than 5 ounces, the equivalent of a medium apple. 
 
This marathon migratory journey begins in the Artic coastal regions where the Arctic Terns have spent the northern summer breeding in large, raucous colonies. Tempted as you might be to get a close view of these astonishing seabirds, do not be fooled by their slender, graceful appearance with their crowns of jet-black feathers and long, deeply forked white tails. Beware of approaching their nests for Arctic Terns are fierce and fearless parents. They will form a synchronised defence force and dive bomb you from the air. With their sharp red beaks aiming for your head, they may also use chemical warfare to intentionally vomit and defecate on you!  
 
After their eggs hatch, and the chicks become fully fledged, their parents teach them to plunge dive and feed for themselves. At the tender age of only 3 months, they are ready to fly south. All members of the family will travel independently.  
 
Arctic Terns from the breeding grounds of Canada, Greenland and Iceland initially spend 3 to 4 weeks feeding over the rich productive waters in the mid North Atlantic to refuel. If you are sailing in that region, you may see them hovering over the water. When they spot a shoal of fish near the surface, they will stall, pull back their wings and plunge dive to snatch their prey in their sharp beaks. Their thin hollow skeletons prevent them from sinking too deep. Using powerful, rapid wing beats, they will shoot out of the sea aided by the trapped air in their water-repellent feathers. Shaking off water, they then toss their fish and swallow them head-first in mid-air before their catch can be stolen by larger gulls or terns.  
  
Once they have fattened up, they will tackle the more arduous journey south which will take an average of 93 days. To achieve this, Arctic Terns have a biological trick up their sleeve which enables them to sleep and fly at the same time. It is widely assumed that they can shut down one half of their brain at a time. While that half rests in a deep sleep state, the other half stays wide awake for navigation, motor movement and looking out for predators enabling them to travel for thousands of miles without touching down. Their aerodynamic wing-span and light bodies help them to glide using the prevailing winds and ocean breezes. 
  
They prefer to travel in small flocks of 1 to 10 birds forming a loose group to avoid competition for the same source of food, but when whales and sea predators push large shoals of fish to the surface, nearby Arctic Terns will converge on the area to feed together in their hundreds. A feeding frenzy ensues, churning the water from above and below. Replenished, the terns continue their journey south. 
  
Their route splits when they reach the Equator. A larger group of terns follows the coast of West Africa down to South Africa. The other group takes the easterly Trade Winds that help them glide across the Atlantic from the African coast to South America. While over the open ocean, they fly low and use the wind currents bouncing off the wave tops. Near coastlines they drift on side and tail winds while adjusting their direction towards the south. 
  
No matter which route is taken, all the Arctic Terns converge far down in the South Atlantic to spend the summer months between November and March in perpetual daylight along the Antarctic pack ice. They rest on the edges of the sea ice over the open ocean while undergoing a full feather moult which leaves them briefly flightless. Once their flight feathers have grown, they build up their energy reserves by foraging almost non-stop on krill and small fish. 
  
When April comes, it is time for the Arctic Terns to fly back north following more favourable wind patterns in a massive ‘S’ shaped path through the middle of the open oceans. Tail winds help them to exceed 300 miles a day and reach their destination with an average of 40 days, exhausted but ready to start their breeding cycle again. 
  
On returning to the same breeding colony, they reunite with their partner after locating each other using unique high-pitched calls. Their monogamous bond is reinforced with courtship rituals. The male flies high above the female showing off a small fish that he has caught for her. They ascend into a high flight and a synchronised glide down to the ground where the male struts around the female with lowered wings and an elevated tail. After mating the pair share nest building duties, and the female lays 1 to 3 speckled eggs. 
  
These steadfast parents go on to share incubation of the eggs and feed and defend their chicks after the eggs hatch. The cycle completes when the chicks are fully fledged and well trained in survival skills.  
  
The bold, intrepid travellers are now ready to start another of their most incredible journeys, an odyssey spent searching for perpetual summer. 

References 

National Geographic 
 
Birds of the World (Cornell) 
 
Cornell Lab of Ornithology 
 
British Antarctic Survey  
 
Tracking of Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea reveals longest animal migration: Egevang, Carsten, Stenhouse, Iain J.;Phillips, Richard A., Petersen, Aevar; Fox, James W.; Silk, Janet R.D.    25 May, 2011 

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