The Arctic Tern

Our company derives its name from the champion globetrotting bird, the Arctic tern. Analogous to our business model, the Arctic tern is best known for traveling from the North Pole to the South Pole and back to the North Pole annually! With nesting grounds as far north as land extends and wintering sites on the opposite end of the earth, Arctic terns cover 22,000 miles (35,400 km) annually. Given that the sun never sets while these birds are nesting, nor during the time they spend near the South Pole, Arctic terns enjoy more hours of daylight than any other species.

The Arctic tern is a seasoned traveler. It breeds in the Northern Hemisphere, mostly within the Arctic Circle, but flies to spend the northern winter in the Southern Hemisphere, mostly in the Antarctic ice-packs. This journey to the Antarctic enables the Arctic tern to enjoy the benefits of a second summer with its long days and plentiful supply of food.

The round-trip journey between Arctic and Antarctic is 35,000 km (21,750 miles) -- roughly the same distance as the entire circumference of the earth. Considering that some Arctic Terns live 30 years or more, this means that they have traveled over 1 million km (over 650,000 miles) in their lifetime. For birds that are only 38 cm long and 300 gm in weight, this is no mean achievement!

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