Frank Delton, age 11, of Pittsfield, Mass., for his question:
WHAT BIRD MIGRATES THE GREATEST DISTANCE?
A sea bird called the Arctic tern is often called the migration champion of the world. This bird migrates twice each year over a greater distance than any other bird.
Arctic terns breed on the sea coasts from New England to Greenland and the northernmost islands of the Arctic Ocean. Then, late in August, the birds and their young start a long journey to the shores of Antarctica and nearby islands. The flight is about 11,000 miles.
After resting a few months, the Arctic terns then start to fly north once more, arriving in the Arctic about the middle of June.
The Arctic tern is about 17 inches long. It has blue gray, black and white feathers and very distinctive red feet and bill.
The tern is a subfamily of sea birds related to gulls. There are about 35 different kinds of terns found in many parts of the world, and all of them are famous for their powers of flight. In North America you'll find 14 kinds.
Most of the terns live along sea coasts, rivers and lakes rather than on the open sea. The sooty tern and some others often range far from land.
Terns have long, pointed bills and webbed feet. Their pointed wings can carry them through the air swiftly and for long distances. Their fast, graceful flight has given them the name of sea swallow.
Terns live mainly on small fish. They seize the fish by darting quickly into the water from the air, with the bill pointing down.
Great colonies of terns inhabit islands during the nesting season. Usually, the nests are slightly hollowed out places in the ground. Sometimes the birds lay eggs on bare rocks or sand, although other times they may make nests out of seaweed.
Largest of all the terns is the Caspian tern. This handsome bird grows to be about 21 inches long. The Caspian tern has a shining black crest and pearl gray back and wings. It lives in the area of the Caspian Sea, the largest inland body of water in the world. The sea is a salt lake located between southeastern Europe and Asia.
Smallest tern in the world is called the least tern, a bird that measures about nine inches in length.
A beautiful bird called the common tern lives in large numbers along the Atlantic Coast of North America. Once hunters almost killed off the species in seeking its eggs and plumes. This type of tern is now protected by law and is increasing in numbers.
The common tern is light pearly gray with white feathers on the tail and throat. It is about 15 inches long and lays three or four eggs. The eggs vary in color from whitish to brownish and are thickly spotted with brown and lavender.
The tern usually seen on island marshes and lakes is the black tern.
Other types of terns include the royal tern, the gull billed tern and the fairy or love tern.