Which migratory bird covers the longest distance

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Follow Statista. Description This chart shows the longest annual migration distances recorded for bird species. Download Chart. You will find more infographics at Statista.

Migration figures in the UK Long-term migration figures in the UK Immigration, emigration, and migration balance in the Netherlands Internal migration in Russia , by federal district.

Net internal migration in Italy , by region. Please visit the English language site to view all of our content. Species: Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus Distance travelled: 3,, km. No oxygen? No problem. These sturdy geese might not fly for the longest time, but not other birds consistently fly as high on their migrations.

On their travels from their breeding areas in Mongolia, the Tibetan Plateau and northern China to their wintering sites in India, these birds cross over the Himalayas using less than ten per cent of the oxygen available at sea level, reaching altitudes of up to 7, m with no help from any tailwinds.

While researchers have concluded they do save energy by hugging the mountain ground and flying at night time, scientists are still unsure of the genetics behind their extraordinary resistance. Species: Great Snipe Gallinago media Distance travelled: 6, km.

The unlikely winner of the fastest long-haul flight would be the Great Snipe — surprising given how plump it can get before its winter migration. But what it lacks in aerodynamism, it makes up for in energy.

The species is unfortunately classed by BirdLife as Near Threatened, due to habitat loss as a result of increasingly intensive agriculture and wetland drainage in Russia and Ukraine. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica Distance travelled: 11, km.

Imagine going on a nine day flight with no time to sleep and nothing to eat or drink. This is the way of the Bar-tailed Godwit; from Alaska to New Zealand, it holds the record for the largest non-stop flight of any bird, flying for over 11, km 6, mi without rest.

Although the species has an extremely large range, some of its subpopulations are struggling. Godwits taking the East Asian-Australasian route are undergoing rapid declines due to severe habitat loss in the Yellow Sea and as a result the species is classified as Near Threatened. Luckily, BirdLife is working with governments to protect stopover sites and prevent further habitat degradation.

Species: Red Knot Calidris canutus Distance travelled: 15, km. One tern flew from the Netherlands to Antarctica via New Zealand, for a one-year trip of 57, miles. Arctic Terns are long-lived; many survive 20 years, and one banded bird lived for To put this into perspective, consider that thousands of Arctic Terns have an annual migration almost twice as far as flying around the earth at the equator.

A tern that lives for 22 years, for example, would fly more miles , than the equivalent of two roundtrips to the moon in its lifetime , miles.

Another distance champion is the abundant Sooty Shearwater. It is virtually impossible to determine how far any one bird flies during a calendar year. Impossible, that is, without high-tech equipment. After the breeding season, the birds flew to Antarctica, north to Chile, across the equator, and then north primarily to one of three nutrient-rich areas near Japan, Russia, or California.

The shearwaters spent about days away from New Zealand. Their migratory path was roughly the shape of a giant figure 8 and measured about 40, miles. A project undertaken in and to learn more about the potential role of migrant shorebirds in spreading avian influenza was initiated by a team headed by Nils Warnock, who is now at Audubon Canyon Ranch in the Bay Area of California, and Robert Gill, United States Geological Survey in Anchorage, Alaska.

Advanced monitoring techniques resulted in unexpected and incredible migration data. Electronic satellite transmitters were surgically implanted into 14 female Bar-tailed Godwits in New Zealand. Solar-activated devices were attached to the smaller males. Females and their transmitters were of greatest interest.