How Birds Navigate Thousands of Miles: Migration Explained

Over 1,800 species migrate. Arctic Terns hold the record at 70,000+ km per year. Navigation uses multiple systems: magnetic field detection via magnetite in the beak, star patterns learned as nestlings, sun position with an internal clock, and visual landmarks.

Bar-tailed Godwits fly 11,000 km non-stop from Alaska to New Zealand in 8 days. Hummingbirds cross the Gulf of Mexico. Many migrate at night to avoid predators and heat.

Light pollution disrupts navigation, causing fatal building collisions..