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GEOGRAPHY
Bio - Fauna
Most Migratory Animals
This list features the most migratory animals on Planet Earth.
RANK | FAUNA | MIGRATION DISTANCE (round trip) |
1 | Arctic Tern | 70,900 km (44,100 mi) |
2 | Sooty Shearwater | 64,000 km (39,768 mi) |
3 | Red Knot | 30,000 km (18,640 mi) |
4 | Bar-tailed Godwit | 29,000 km (18,020 mi) |
5 | Gray Whale | 22,000 km (14,000 mi) |
6 | Elephant Seal | 21,000 km (13,000 mi) |
7 | Great White Shark | 20,000 km (12,000 mi) |
8 | Dragonflies | 18,000 km (11,200 mi) |
9 | Humpback Whale | 16,000 km (10,000 mi) |
10 | Leatherback Turtle | 15,000 km (9,300 mi) |
References
BBC Earth. (2016). The World’s Greatest Migrations.
Battley, P. et al. (2020). The Record-Breaking Migration of Bar-tailed Godwits. Science, 2020.
Clapham, P. J. (1996). Humpback Whale Migration and Breeding Patterns. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (2019). All About Birds: Red Knot Life History.
Domeier, M. (2012). Global Perspectives on the Biology of the White Shark. CRC Press.
Jones, M.L. et al. (2021). Gray Whale Migration Patterns. Marine Mammal Science.
Le Boeuf, B.J. et al. (2000). Elephant Seals: Population Ecology, Behavior, and Physiology. University of California Press.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. (2020). Sooty Shearwater Species Overview.
National Geographic. (2021). Arctic Tern: The Bird with the Longest Migration.
Spotila, J.R. (2004). Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Wikelski, M. et al. (2006). Flight of the Dragonflies: Migration Study. Nature, 2006.
Interesting Engineering. (n.d.). Nature’s Longest Animal Migrations – Birds. [online] Available at: https://interestingengineering.com/lists/nature-longest-animal-migrations-birds [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
SCALA
lists
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