Sep 1, 2025
Uncharismatic Fact of the Day
All birds have to leave the nest sometime, but juvenile sharp-tailed sandpipers take it to a whole new level! When their parents take off for their migration from Russia to Australia, juveniles make their own trip about 2,300 km (1,400 miles) east to western Alaska, where they can put on a bit of extra weight. A month or two later, they will fly nearly 10,000 km (6,200 miles) nonstop over the Pacific Ocean to reach Australasia, all without parental guidance!
(Image: A juvenile sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) by Zak Pohlen)
