They flew away but they promise to come back:
Arctic birds’ migration
They flew away but they promise to come back:

Arctic birds’ migration

In the harsh Arctic region, it is difficult to find birds that lead a completely settled way of life. Despite the severe weather conditions, with short, cold summers, every year millions of birds rush here, flying thousands of kilometers.


In this article, we will find out where birds go when they fly away from the Russian Arctic and why they breed beyond the Arctic Circle.

Why birds migrate
First let’s look at why, in fact, many birds migrate instead of living peacefully in one place they are familiar with. Birds’ arrivals and departures are influenced by a number of factors, some of which apply to all types of migratory bird and others unique to those living in the Arctic latitudes.
Why birds migrate
First let’s look at why, in fact, many birds migrate instead of living peacefully in one place they are familiar with. Birds’ arrivals and departures are influenced by a number of factors, some of which apply to all types of migratory bird and others unique to those living in the Arctic latitudes.
  • Variation in daylight hours and solar radiation levels
    Scientists believe that the way the light affects a bird’s body at different times of the year is one of the reasons for migration. It causes hormonal changes that tell the bird when the mating season is about to start or end.
  • The beginning of the mating season
    The reproductive instinct plays a key role in migration, and hormonal changes give the bird an energy boost that is necessary for the long flight. This is indirectly supported by scientists’ findings that in some species, birds arrive separately depending on their age and gender.
  • Precipitation
    Snowfall and frozen grass deprive herbivorous and insectivorous birds, such as geese and passeriformes, of food.
  • Frozen seas and ice movement
    Frozen seas and ice movements affect, in particular, the greatest effect on birds that feed on fish and other marine organisms. During the cold season, the northern seas become dangerous for feathered fishers, which risk getting trapped in the ice and drowning during ice movements.
Variation in daylight hours and solar radiation levels
Scientists believe that the way the light affects a bird’s body at different times of the year is one of the reasons for migration. It causes hormonal changes that tell the bird when the mating season is about to start or end.
The beginning of the mating season
The reproductive instinct plays a key role in migration, and hormonal changes give the bird an energy boost that is necessary for the long flight. This indirectly supports scientists’ findings that in some species, birds arrive separately depending on their age and gender.
Precipitation
Snowfall and frozen grass deprive herbivorous and insectivorous birds, such as geese and passeriformes, of food.
Frozen seas and ice movement
Frozen seas and ice movements affect, in particular, the greatest effect on birds that feed on fish and other marine organisms. During the cold season, the northern seas become dangerous for feathered fishers, which risk getting trapped in the ice and drowning during ice movements.
Then why fly to the Arctic?
First of all, here birds find abundant and varied food for themselves and their offspring: both in the sea and in the form of the algae and vegetation that appear from under the snow in the summer.

The polar day provides birds with constant access to food: they can hunt at any time.

The number of predators in the Arctic is small compared to more southerly lands, thus offspring are more likely to survive.

The problem of low temperatures is not as important for birds as it is for mammals. A bird’s normal body temperature exceeds 40 degrees, and in small species it can reach 45. They are protected from the cold by thick plumage and a downy lining underneath. Birds are also not afraid of frost as their feet are more resistant to cold.

Then why fly to the Arctic?

First of all, here birds find abundant and varied food for themselves and their offspring: both in the sea and in the form of the algae and vegetation that appear from under the snow in the summer.

The polar day provides birds with constant access to food: they can hunt at any time.

The number of predators in the Arctic is small compared to more southerly lands, thus offspring are more likely to survive.

The problem of low temperatures is not as important for birds as it is for mammals. A bird’s normal body temperature exceeds 40 degrees, and in small species it can reach 45. They are protected from the cold by thick plumage and a downy lining underneath. Birds are also not afraid of frost as their feet are more resistant to cold.
How do birds know where to fly?
Birds’ internal navigation is still not fully understood. The mechanism is most often described using the concept of “map and compass:” first, the bird determines where it is in relation to the target, then it chooses a direction and follows it.

Today scientists distinguish three kinds of navigation:

How do birds know where to fly?
Birds’ internal navigation is still not fully understood. The mechanism is most often described using the concept of “map and compass:” first, the bird determines where it is in relation to the target, then it chooses a direction and follows it.

Today scientists distinguish three kinds of navigation:

  • solar navigation, based on the bird’s orientation in relation to the Sun;
  • celestial navigation, based on how stars are located in the sky;
  • using the magnet field.
The researchers found that the ability to use the sun and stars as cues is not innate, but acquired at an early age, while it is assumed that birds feel the magnetic field from birth. Birds do not have an internal map, but they have an innate flight “program,” which tells them when and in what direction they need to fly. Special aerodynamics and a fast metabolism help birds to make long flights, which allows them to accumulate mass well for a long flight.
Who flies where?
The migration of Arctic birds depends on many factors and is unique to each species. The routes vary, as do arrival and departure times, the number and duration of stops along the way, and the distance in general. Let’s have a look at some examples.
Bar-tailed godwits are large waders that nest in the humid arctic tundra. In the Russian Arctic, the bar-tailed godwit has breeding grounds from the Kola Peninsula to Chukotka. They arrive at nesting sites in late May and early June, while the snow is melting, and fly away in August and September: young birds fly away later than adults in order to have time to fatten up. They most often nest in tundra swamps and light forests, or in wet tundra, where there are lakes. They feed on invertebrates, as well as seeds and berries. In 2022, a male bar-tailed godwit set the world record for non-stop flight, covering 13,560 km from Alaska to Tasmania in 11 days and an hour.
Bar-tailed godwits are large waders that nest in the humid arctic tundra. In the Russian Arctic, the bar-tailed godwit has breeding grounds from the Kola Peninsula to Chukotka. They arrive at nesting sites in late May and early June, while the snow is melting, and fly away in August and September: young birds fly away later than adults in order to have time to fatten up. They most often nest in tundra swamps and light forests, or in wet tundra, where there are lakes. They feed on invertebrates, as well as seeds and berries. In 2022, a male bar-tailed godwit set the world record for non-stop flight, covering 13,560 km from Alaska to Tasmania in 11 days and an hour.
Arctic terns are champions not only among Arctic birds but worldwide in terms of flight distance. For wintering, these birds do not fly to the warm tropics, but to the shores of the South Pole, settling down as far as Antarctica. On average, every year terns cover a distance of 70,000 km. According to some estimates, the distance that these birds cover in their entire lives (20-25 years on average, with a recorded maximum of 34 years) is about 2.5 million km: this is about the same as three flights to the moon or 60 orbits around the equator. The main diet of Arctic terns is small fish and large plankton. You can meet Arctic terns along the entire coast of the Northern Hemisphere. It is interesting that the birds fly slowly to their wintering grounds, with stops of up to 30 days, and return to their nesting sites almost without any stops.
Arctic terns are champions not only among Arctic birds but worldwide in terms of flight distance. For wintering, these birds do not fly to the warm tropics, but to the shores of the South Pole, settling down as far as Antarctica. On average, every year terns cover a distance of 70,000 km. According to some estimates, the distance that these birds cover in their entire lives (20-25 years on average, with a recorded maximum of 34 years) is about 2.5 million km: this is about the same as three flights to the moon or 60 orbits around the equator. The main diet of Arctic terns is small fish and large plankton. You can meet Arctic terns along the entire coast of the Northern Hemisphere. It is interesting that the birds fly slowly to their wintering grounds, with stops of up to 30 days, and return to their nesting sites almost without any stops.
Black-throated loons choose shorter routes to their wintering grounds. These medium-sized waterfowl are widespread throughout northern Eurasia and the small northwestern part of Alaska in North America. They prefer to nest on medium and large lakes, but they fly to the seacoasts for the winter. At the moment, the most widely studied migration route of black-throated divers is to the Black and Azov Seas, although it is known that they also winter near the seas of European countries in the west and the waters of the Pacific Ocean from Kamchatka to Southeast Asia in the east. Black-throated loons living in the European part of the Russian Arctic fly to their wintering grounds along the Barents Sea from west to east.
Black-throated loons choose shorter routes to their wintering grounds. These medium-sized waterfowl are widespread throughout northern Eurasia and the small northwestern part of Alaska in North America. They prefer to nest on medium and large lakes, but they fly to the seacoasts for the winter. At the moment, the most widely studied migration route of black-throated divers is to the Black and Azov Seas, although it is known that they also winter near the seas of European countries in the west and the waters of the Pacific Ocean from Kamchatka to Southeast Asia in the east. Black-throated loons living in the European part of the Russian Arctic fly to their wintering grounds along the Barents Sea from west to east.
As for predators, let’s single out rough-legged buzzards, also known as rough-legged hawks. These can be found in the tundra and sparse forests of northern Eurasia and North America, except for Greenland, Iceland and other Arctic islands. They spend the winter in a moderate climate, migrating on a wide front in the direction of the south and south-west. The main diet of these Accipitridae is small mammals. An interesting detail is that buzzards tend to return to their former wintering grounds, while nesting sites can change from year to year. The migrations of the Lapland population, nesting in the northern part of Scandinavia, and the southern one, nesting in the mountains in the south, have been studied to the greatest extent.
As for predators, let’s single out rough-legged buzzards, also known as rough-legged hawks. These can be found in the tundra and sparse forests of northern Eurasia and North America, except for Greenland, Iceland and other Arctic islands. They spend the winter in a moderate climate, migrating on a wide front in the direction of the south and south-west. The main diet of these Accipitridae is small mammals. An interesting detail is that buzzards tend to return to their former wintering grounds, while nesting sites can change from year to year. The migrations of the Lapland population, nesting in the northern part of Scandinavia, and the southern one, nesting in the mountains in the south, have been studied to the greatest extent.
Northern wheatears are among the smallest Arctic migrants. As a rule, it is no more than 15.5 cm in length, with a maximum weight of 28 g. This small insectivorous bird not only lives in the Arctic latitudes but has one of the largest ranges in the world, stretching from the northernmost coasts of Scandinavia to Israel. For the winter, wheatears fly to Africa south of the Sahara, covering up to 290 km per day. They nest in the cracks of rocks or between stones, for which they got their name. Data on population migration from the Russian Arctic is scarce, but we know enough about their flights from North America. It is characteristic of them that the spring migration of wheatears takes longer than the autumn one, but not vice versa: about 55 days in spring versus 26 days in autumn.
Northern wheatears are among the smallest Arctic migrants. As a rule, it is no more than 15.5 cm in length, with a maximum weight of 28 g. This small insectivorous bird not only lives in the Arctic latitudes but has one of the largest ranges in the world, stretching from the northernmost coasts of Scandinavia to Israel. For the winter, wheatears fly to Africa south of the Sahara, covering up to 290 km per day. They nest in the cracks of rocks or between stones, for which they got their name. Data on population migration from the Russian Arctic is scarce, but we know enough about their flights from North America. It is characteristic of them that the spring migration of wheatears takes longer than the autumn one, but not vice versa: about 55 days in spring versus 26 days in autumn.

Edited by: Alexander Nebogatov

Designed by: Yelena Lebedeva