The Tern's Long Year
Written by Studio AM.
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The Arctic tern is a small seabird with one of the longest known migrations. It breeds in northern regions and travels to waters near Antarctica, following summer between the two ends of the planet.
A tracking study published in 2010 followed birds from Greenland and Iceland. Tiny devices helped researchers estimate where the terns travelled. Their annual journeys averaged about seventy thousand kilometres, and some birds went much farther. This was a round trip, not a single flight without stopping.
The routes were not straight. The birds stopped in rich feeding areas and used helpful winds across the ocean. A direct route might be shorter on a map, but pushing against strong winds can cost energy that a bird cannot spare.
Some Arctic terns live for more than thirty years. Over a long life, their journeys can total millions of kilometres. Following the northern and southern summers also gives them long periods of daylight. The tracking records show both the scale of the journey and how the birds manage it.
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Question 1 of 4
What is the passage mainly about?
The answer is C: how a small seabird makes a very long migration using feeding areas and winds
The passage describes the tern's long round trip and the feeding stops and winds that help it travel.
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Question 2 of 4
About how long was the average annual journey in the 2010 study?
The answer is B: about seventy thousand kilometres
The study's tracked journeys averaged about seventy thousand kilometres. Individual birds travelled different distances.
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Question 3 of 4
Why might a shorter route on a map require more effort?
The answer is D: It may involve stronger winds against the bird.
Distance is not the only cost. Flying against strong winds can take more energy than following a longer route with helpful winds.
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Question 4 of 4
What does 'spare' mean in the discussion of the birds' energy?
The answer is A: have extra and can afford to lose
The bird needs energy for its journey. Energy it 'cannot spare' is energy it cannot afford to waste.
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