The Arctic tern holds the record for the longest migration of any bird—traveling about 44,000 miles each year from the Arctic to Antarctica and back. That’s like flying around the world twice annually.

Why the epic journey? These small but mighty birds follow the sun, breeding in the Arctic’s summer and then heading to the Antarctic for more daylight and food.

With long wings built for gliding and an internal GPS that uses the sun, stars, and Earth’s magnetic field, Arctic terns are expert navigators. 

Over a lifetime, one can log more than 1.5 million miles—enough to reach the moon and back three times.