‘Turbocharged’ Mitochondria Power Birds’ Epic Migratory Journeys | Quanta Magazine

Introduction Weighing in at a single ounce, the white-crowned sparrow can fly 2,600 miles, from Mexico to Alaska, on its annual spring migration, sometimes traveling 300 miles in a single night. Arctic terns make even longer journeys of 10,000 miles and more from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica, while great snipes fly over food-poor deserts and seas, sometimes covering 4,200 miles in four days without stopping. During migration season, many bird species become continent-spanning, high-endurance.