Natural History Wanderings

Quanta Magazine reported in the article ‘Turbocharged’ Mitochondria Power Birds’ Epic Migratory Journeys

Changes in the number, shape, efficiency and interconnectedness of organelles in the cells of flight muscles provide extra energy for birds’ continent-spanning feats.

Weighing in at a single ounce, the white-crowned sparrow can fly 2,600 miles, from Mexico to Alaska, on its annual spring migration, sometimes traveling 300 miles in a single night. Arctic terns make even longer journeys of 10,000 miles and more from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica, while great snipes fly over food-poor deserts and seas, sometimes covering 4,200 miles in four days without stopping.

Read more ‘Turbocharged’ Mitochondria Power Birds’ Epic Migratory Journeys | Quanta Magazine