Their annual journey is the longest known bird migration in the world. The Arctic Tern’s migrations travel to every ocean, and to the vicinity of every continent. There are over 1,000,000 Arctic terns in the world today. Bird migration takes place primarily in the northern hemisphere. The Arctic tern travels 49,700 miles in a year between their Arctic breeding grounds and the Antarctic coast. Obviously, Arctic Terns are famous as long-distance fliers. Q: Where do birds migrate? They redefine what it means to be a world traveler. Why do they travel tens of thousands of miles — from the tip of South America to the Arctic, for example — and back every year?. Some Arctic Terns may migrate farther than any other birds, going from the high Arctic to the Antarctic. How many Arctic terns are there today? The UK population breeds mostly on the north and west coasts – especially in Scotland and Ireland. Do Arctic terns have any natural predators? Their annual journey is the longest known bird migration in the world. By moving continually between the Arctic summer and the Antarctic summer, it also sees more daylight than other animal on Earth. A small, slender gray-and-white bird with angular wings, the Arctic Tern is well known for its long yearly migration. Seven attractive Arctic tern facts It travels from its Arctic breeding grounds to Antarctica where it enjoys the Antarctic summer, covering around 25,000 miles. This species nests exclusively in the Arctic but spends much of the rest of the year migrating across the globe. Arctic terns are divers and feed by plunging into surface waters at high speeds and chasing their prey underwater. As in all seabirds, Arctic terns nest on land. Eggs, chicks, and adult Arctic terns nesting on the ground are vulnerable to foxes, cats, and other seabirds, such as skuas. Generally, birds migrate south to warmer climates in the winter and north in the summer. The longest route, traveled by the Arctic tern, stretches from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Breeding birds sport a full black cap, short red legs, and a red bill. Why don’t migratory birds just stay home?