Animal Migration

travel · seasons · nature's journey

Birds fly thousands of miles. Many birds migrate between countries or even continents when seasons change, following food sources and warmer weather. Some arctic terns travel farther than any other animal, nearly 45,000 miles round-trip each year!

Whales swim across oceans. Gray whales travel up to 12,000 miles from their feeding grounds in the Arctic to breeding grounds in Mexico and back each year, one of the longest journeys of any mammal.

It's all about survival. Animals migrate for three main reasons: to find food when it runs out, to escape harsh weather and cold, and to find mates and raise babies in safe places.

Even tiny creatures migrate. Insects like monarch butterflies and zooplankton in the ocean travel hundreds or thousands of miles, even though they're incredibly small compared to whales and birds.

Amazing navigation skills. Scientists still don't fully understand how animals know which way to go, they may follow the sun, Earth's magnetic field, landmarks, or even smell and sound.