Migratory birds have a straightforward strategy for surviving the Arctic winter: they fly south. Migratory birds come back to north every summer to breed. Some bird species live in the Arctic all year round. The have adapted in many ways to harsh winter conditions.   

The Arctic tern is famous for its world record migration route from one polar region to another. During one year, it experiences two summers and sees more daylight than any other animal in the world.

The snowy owl spends its whole life in the North. It’s legs and peak are protected by feathers. Mature snowy owl males are almost fully white, while females and juveniles are marked with dark patterning.

The raven has a good memory, exceptional perception and a sense of humour. This social bird often lives in gangs while being young. When ravens pair up, the relationship lasts until the death of the spouse.

The rock ptarmigan changes colour seasonally, which disguises it from the predators. The winter plumage is almost completely white. As climate changes, the change of colour might happen at a wrong time: for predators, is easy to spot a white bird in a dark environment.

The Atlantic puffin is known for it’s funny looks: the beak is like that of a parrot, and the eyes resemble a clown’s eyes. The Atlantic puffin nests in large colonies on bird cliffs.

The long-tailed skua can hover in the air, which means that they can fly stationary. This skill is useful both for preying and for observing intruders. The long-tailed skua prefers two completely different habitats: it breeds in the tundra and it winters in the open sea.

The red phalarope has untypical sex roles. The female pursues and mates with males, and the male raises the chicks. The winter plumage is grey-white, but the summer plumage is a striking red-brown, especially on the female.