Ecosystems

Birds of the tundra

The birds of the tundra are mostly migrant birds. Some of them, such as the greater willow chicken, move short distances away, while others travel for thousands of kilometres. The Arctic tern travels 36 thousand kilometres to reach the northern tundra from Antarctica! The goose is perhaps the most typical bird of the tundra. Many different species come here to breed after spending the cold months in the Mediterranean, Mexico, Africa or in the south of the United States. In summer, wet areas are the ideal place for many species of insects, that spend the winter as eggs. Mosquitoes and flies are so many as to force the big mammals, such as the musk ox and the caribou, to leave the swampy areas to reach higher, drier lands. The abundance of insects in the summer attracts to the tundra very many species of insectivorous birds, which migrate there just to take part in the feast. Birds and lemmings attract pigeon hawks, falcons and other birds of prey.