: Breeds. to late May-late Jul/early Aug on Petit Manan Island (PMI), where in years several hundred pairs have breed (about 420 pairs estimated in 2021). Note that birds arrive at PMI several weeks before they begin nesting. to in the vicinity of the ‘Ballpark' or Mount Desert Rock where this population forages. Bar Harbor whale watch boats visit both places.
: Other than birds initially arriving to or ultimately departing from their breeding colonies, migrating birds are essentially undetectable as they head directly in from/out to the deep ocean.
Miscellany: Arctic Terns have the longest regular migration of any bird, some traveling more than 50,000 miles each year. Factoring all the daily foraging flights and the fact that many live 30 years, quite a few Arctic Terns end their lives having flown more than one million miles. They may also see more daylight per year than any bird, with most spending mid-May to early Aug in high northern latitudes and Dec to Feb in high southern latitudes with the rest of the time in transit, mostly in places with more than 12 hours of daylight.
Last Updated: October 25th, 2022