The Fork-tailed storm-petrel is a widespread and abundant pelagic species. They are the only pure grey member of their family – other storm-petrels are predominantly black in color. During breeding season they form colonies, nesting in the cracks and burrows of cliffs; they spend the rest of the year at sea, picking food off the surface of the water while in flight and occasionally diving in pursuit of prey.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Fork-tailed_Storm-Petrel/id
A Truly Amazing Race…
Many species of birds migrate when the weather changes, but some species take their journeys to extremes. The Arctic tern tops this list: it flies from the Arctic to Antarctic and back again every year of its life! In 2013, scientists tracked Arctic terns nesting in the Netherlands and discovered that they flew 56,000 miles per year! With a lifespan of approximately 30 years, this means these birds fly over 1.5 million miles over the course of their lives! Because the distance they migrate is so enormous, they don’t just get better weather and more abundant food each year, they get more daylight than any other animal on the planet!
Learn more >>
Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
