Every year, millions of birds make incredible journeys across the planet, spanning continents and flying for months on end. We’re used to birds migrating over winter to head towards warmer climes, but we don’t often stop to think about how remarkable this really is.
How does the arctic tern travel from its arctic breeding grounds to its summer home in the Antarctic? And how doesthe swift stay in the air for ten months at a time?
Writer Mike Unwin and wildlife photographer David Tipling explore this fascinating subject inFlights of Passage, looking into the science behind this bizarre behaviour, accompanied by photos of 67 different species.
Take a look at these stunning photos from the book.
All photos © David Tipling.
Puffin with fish
Puffin (Fratercula arctica) with a beakful of fish in June, Inner Farne, Farne Islands, Northumberland, UK.
Albatross pair
Wandering Albatross (Diomeda exulans) pair displaying on Albatross Island in Bay of Isles, South Georgia Island.
Sandgrouse
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata) drinking at pool in July, Belchite, Aragon, Spain.
Puffin
Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) in June, Shetland Islands, UK.
Osprey
Osprey (Panion haliaetus), in July, Scottish Highlands, UK.
Turtle doves
Turtle Doves (Streptopelia turtur) fighting, in June, Norfolk, UK.
Purple Martin
Purple Martin (Progne subis) at purple martin colony, Cape May New Jersey, USA.
Snow geese
Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens) at dawn in winter, Bosque del Apache, New Mexico, USA.
Lesser flamingos
Lesser Flamingos (Phoenicopterus minor) on Lake Nakuru, Kenya.
Wandering albatross
Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans), Southern Ocean in November, near South Georgia Island.
King Eider and Common Eider sea ducks
King Eiders (Somateria spectabilis) and Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) in March, in Varanger Fjord, Norway.
Emperor penguin family
Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) family, Weddell Sea, Antarctica.
Sandhill cranes
Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) on roosting pond at dawn in November, Bosque Del Apache, New Mexico, USA.
Emperor penguins
Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) adults returning to colony across sea ice of the Weddell Sea, Antarctica.
Flights of Passage: An Illustrated Natural History of Bird Migration is out on 28 April (£30, Yale University Press).