The takeaway: We're used to hearing about bird migrations that range from the Canadian Arctic to the Midwest, or the Eastern U.S. to Central America–but did you know some bird migrations actually cross the Atlantic Ocean?

North America has a massive and highly structured bird migration setup, with billions of birds moving seasonally between major nesting and breeding areas.

These migration routes are well-studied and fairly well understood. Standouts include the Atlantic Flyway, which links the Arctic to Central and South America, the Mississippi Flyway, which stretches from the prairies of the Midwest as far south as South America, and the Pacific Flyway, which stretches from Alaska down the West Coast into Central America.

But there's another migration route you might not be aware of–and it's a doozy: transatlantic migrations.

 

Why Birds Migrate Across the Atlantic

The vast majority of migrations are north-south, and this makes sense: Animals, be they a buff-bellied hummingbird or a wildebeest, typically travel north and south to take advantage of seasonal variations, which usually comes down to favorable temperatures and food sources.

But that rule does not hold true for all species, and in particular a handful of birds that spend their summers in the North American Arctic regions and their winters in Europe and even Africa.

These transatlantic migrations happen for a few reasons:

  • The birds take advantage of prevailing tailwinds that sweep southeast from the Arctic toward Europe and Africa.
  • Stopovers like Iceland and Greenland make sense for birds that primarily eat ocean fish.
  • These birds have specialized navigation abilities and extreme levels of stamina.
  • There's less competition–migrating east to west for reduced competition is an unusual though valid move for some birds who, if they stayed in the Western Hemisphere year-round, might face high competition for food and shelter; instead, by flying across the Atlantic, they gain access to less-crowded habitats when it matters most.
  • These routes are actually safer for some birds–some of these seemingly unusual migratory routes actually help the birds evade their predators–instead of crossing multiple habitats with multiple predators, these birds spend one long but safe flight over open ocean.
  • Not all transatlantic migrations make sense–some may just do it because that's what they've always done–their ancestors moved along these northern routes, seeking more subtle variations in weather, food, and landscape–small differences, but just enough.

Birds that Migrate Between North America and Europe

  • Arctic Tern: Longest migration of any animal. Breeds in the Arctic, winters in the Antarctic, passing through Europe. Some cross the North Atlantic directly, while others follow coastal routes.
  • Northern Wheatear: Breeds in Alaska and migrates across the North Atlantic to winter in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • White-rumped Sandpiper: Breeds in the Canadian Arctic, crosses the Atlantic to Western Europe, and sometimes keeps going to South America. Transatlantic crossings are well documented.
  • Pectoral Sandpiper: Breeds in Alaska and northern Canada, often seen in the British Isles, Iceland, and Scandinavia.
  • American Golden-Plover: Breeds in Alaska and Arctic Canada, then crosses the Atlantic to Iceland and Ireland before heading to South America.
  • Red-necked Phalarope: Breeds in North America and northern Russia; some populations fly south across the Pacific while others head across eastern Canada to Europe, particularly Iceland and the Faroe Islands, before heading to wintering grounds along the Arabian Sea.

Bad News: You Won't See These Transatlantic Migrating Birds at Your Smart Bird Feeder

Unfortunately, you're highly unlikely to see any of these birds at a bird feeder–even if you floated one out into the Atlantic.

Why? Birds like the Northern wheatear are ground-dwelling insect eaters, getting their meals from open tundra and rocky areas. The Arctic tern would rather eat fish, and birds like the sandpipers and plovers are more prone to picking insects out of marshes and wetlands. Phalaropes spend most of their time over water, only visiting land to breed.

That means, if you want to see these birds, your best bet may be to visit coastal wetlands and marshes along their migratory routes, the Arctic tundra during breeding season, and specialized stopovers like Iceland and Greenland.

How Many Birds Migrate Across the Atlantic?

Transatlantic migrations are far less common than continental (i.e., standard north-south) migrations, but the numbers do add up. And because these migrations take place largely across water, getting good counts is difficult.

In rough numbers, however, scientists have estimated the approximate numbers of birds that cross the Atlantic annually:

  • Arctic Tern: 1-2 million
  • Red Knot: 250,000
  • Northern Wheatear: 300,000
  • Others: 2 million

Where Do Birds that Cross the Atlantic Stop and Rest?

Looking at a map, it would appear that North America is separated from Europe by a huge expanse of ocean, but looking at the map from the point of view of polar regions, where these birds generally live, the distance is actually compressed–much in the same way that when you fly from Chicago to Paris, you fly across Greenland and Iceland.

While stopover locations are scant on these routes, they do exist. Birds that cross the Atlantic can stop, rest, and feed in:

  • Greenland
  • Iceland
  • Faroe Islands
  • Azores
  • Canary Islands
  • British Isles

What Are the Most Common Transatlantic Routes?

If you're a bird, there's more than one way to cross the Atlantic.

  • Shorebirds and some seabirds fly from eastern Canada to Greenland, Iceland, and the British Isles on their way to continental Europe.
  • Arctic-breeding shorebirds hop across the northern Canadian islands to Greenland and Iceland before landing in Europe.
  • Arctic terns also take a high-latitude polar route, crossing Greenland and Iceland to get to Europe.

These stopovers are not just to stretch their legs–some birds will bulk up on their stops, which are heavily influenced by tailwinds and weather patterns.

North American Feeder Birds that Can Be Seen in Europe

While birds that migrate across the Atlantic won't likely be seen at your smart bird feeder, feeder birds do sometimes wind up in Europe by accident–the term for these birds is "rare vagrant." Rare vagrants appear outside of their normal range only occasionally and unpredictably. They get off course due to wild weather or navigational errors.

North American feeder birds occasionally seen in Europe include:

  • American Robin: Recorded in the U.K., Ireland, Iceland, and the Azores
  • Red-eyed Vireo: Occasionally seen in western Europe
  • Baltimore Oriole: Spotted annually in the U.K. and Ireland
  • Dark-eyed Junco: Seen rarely in U.K. and Ireland
  • Common Grackle: Very rarely seen in western Europe
  • Gray Catbird: Seen rarely in western Europe

Vagrants from the U.K. occasionally seen in North America include Fieldfare, Northern Lapwing, Common Cuckoo, Common Teal, and Eurasian Bullfinch.

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