To the Moon and back
18-01-2021
Some time ago it was thought that the Arctic tern migrating from the Arctic to Antarctica and back flies from 35 000 to 40 000 km. However, a decade ago it was established that these birds cover much longer distances.
Scientists learned about these incredibly long journeys using tiny geolocators, the size of a paper-fastener, and the micro computers half a match long revealed that the both ways journey of some terns covered ca. 90.000 km!
Geolocator. Photo by Carsten Egevang
Earlier it was thought that the migration trajectory of these birds (they are very similar to the Common tern) is straight but it appeared to be something like the letter S. It is thought that the flight is influenced by adverse winds and their directions.
http://www.arctictern.info/
The life span of Arctic terns is about 30 years (the longest recorded – 34 years) during which they cover 2,4 million kilometres. That equals to three trips to the Moon and back!
More information about trips and geolocators in the video
Though today we have progressive technologies, however, we face big challenges to produce tiny low weight transmitters for birds. This year ornithologists of the Lithuanian Ornithological Society fixed GPS transmitters (weight 3 g) to 45 Common terns.
For more information about trips of terns: https://www.lifeterns.lt/rezultatai/palydovinis_zuvedru_stebejimas
