Image: Wiki Commons
About This Quiz
Find food, water and shelter, escape predators and procreate - these are some of the reasons animals migrate. It is a way to adapt to imperfect habitats and find mates. How these migratory animals find their way across thousands of miles is as varied as the animals themselves.
Some like mallards or loggerhead turtles are genetically programmed. Mallards know to continue in a northerly direction by using the stars. Loggerhead turtles upon hatching can sense the direction and strength of Earth’s magnetic field. The turtles use this ability for navigation while migrating. Land features are another form of directional input for migrating animals. Even marine animals, like dolphins, use the shape of the ocean floor to migrate.
The amazement doesn’t stop there when comparing migrating animals. There are individual species that take the gold for going the furthest, highest, and fastest. For instance, the Arctic tern migrates further than any other bird, traveling over 44,000 miles each year. Then there is the wandering glider, an insect that can fly over 4,000 miles without landing or stopping!
The “smartest” animals are those who live in summer all year round. The sooty shearwater is one of those. It travels between Greenland and Antartica so that it can bask in the summer sun all year long. Discover if you can name all of the migratory animals. Take the quiz now.
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Which migratory animal is this?
Canada goose
The Canada goose population has increased greatly since 1966. These flighty friends make their travel southward once per year, usually overtaking parks and other public town areas. The Canada goose is known for its agnostic behavior.
Artic tern
Humpback whale
Monarch butterfly
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Which migratory animal is this?
Globe skimmers
Monarch butterfly
Arctic tern
The Arctic tern migrates further than any other bird; it will travel over 44,000 miles once a year in search of better weather. It travels between Greenland and Antartica every year, so it lives in summer all year round. That's a long journey!
Chinook salmon
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Which migratory animal is this?
Chinook salmon
Monarch butterfly
Gnu
Humpback whale
This entirely massive, ancient sailor of the sea can weigh up to 79,000 pounds! Did you know they travel all the way from Alaska to Hawaii? They can swim for almost eight weeks nonstop.
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Which migratory animal is this?
Ladybug
Red bat
Monarch butterfly
The Monarch butterfly flitters across much of North America to Mexico for the winter, where it can relax in the sun. They deserve the rest, since this is a 3,000-mile journey!
Bobolink
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Wiki Commons CC 2.0 By: Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith
Which migratory animal is this?
Cockatoo
Dolphin
Ladybug
Sooty shearwater
These sea birds live in New Zealand and Australia for part of the year, then fly to North America and Europe for the summer. They breed in mass congregations of up to 1 million birds!
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By Vengolis (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
Wandering gliders
Often referred to as globe skimmers, this insect is also known by its scientific name, 'Pantala flavescens'. Its flight span ability is amazing; it can fly over 4,000 miles without landing or stopping!
Golden plover
Adélie penguin
Red crowned crane
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Which migratory animal is this?
Chinook salmon
Chinook salmon are unique from other migration animals in that they only spawn once, then die. They truly embody the circle of life, since an adult will return to the freshwater where it was born to spawn, then die.
Tuna
Greenland shark
Bull shark
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By Liam Quinn from Canada (Adélie Penguin at Shingle Cove) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
American buffalo
Adélie penguin
These cute, medium-sized penguins look different from other types of penguins because of the white ring around their eyes. They are strong swimmers, and can swim for over 100 miles with little food.
Globe skimmer
Arctic tern
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By Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa [CC BY 2.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
Tuna
Wildebeest
This species of wildebeest, also called gnus, is a black wildebeest or white-tailed gnu. You can pronounce is two ways: 'new' or 'g-nu'. It lives in southern and eastern Africa and is locally known as 'wildebeest', which means 'wild beast'.
Cockatoo
Blue whale
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Dragon187 at German Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL ], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
Basking shark
Cockatoo
Red Crab Christmas Island
This crab lives on Christmas Island and on the Coco Islands. If you don't like crabs, don't go here, since there's tens of millions of crabs here!
Tuna
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Which migratory animal is this?
Semipalmated sandpiper
These birds are fair-weather friends, and go south for the winter when the weather up north gets cold. They work for their vacation, as their trip is a nonstop 2,000 mile flight!
Northern pintail
Reindeer
Golden plover
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Which migratory animal is this?
Greenland shark
Bowhead whale
Gnu
African elephant
Did you know this animal is at risk because of it being poached for its tusks? The African elephant has impressive, ivory tusks that weigh about 200 pounds!
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Which migratory animal is this?
Gnu
American buffalo
Because of the brutal hunting of the buffalo in the 1800s, it does not migrate the same as it used to. However the buffalo still will migrate to areas where humans are scarce in the Great Plains.
African elephant
Semipalmated sandpiper
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Which migratory animal is this?
Dolphin
Basking shark
This frightening-looking shark can be up to 32 feet long! They are called basking sharks because they bask, or float along the surface of the water, so only their dorsal fin sticks out for above-water viewers to see.
Jellyfish
Gnu
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Which migratory animal is this?
Hummingbird
Greenland shark
Golden plover
This pretty bird lives along the coast in areas of southeast Asia and northeast Africa. It travels to Alaska and Siberia in the summer months.
Dolphin
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Which migratory animal is this?
Bowhead whale
Elephant
Blue shark
Although a migration is usually assumed to be for moving to warmer climates, some animals move because they would rather be in cooler temperatures. The blue shark is one of these cooler weather seeking creatures. It moves all the way down the Atlantic Ocean, between the northeastern coast of the United States to northern South America.
Hummingbird
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Which migratory animal is this?
Southern right whale
Tuna
Mallard duck
Bull shark
The bull shark lives up to its name by being one of the most dangerous sharks in the world. Unfortunately for humans and this hunter's prey, it lives in shallow, coastal waters, and can even survive in freshwater.
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Which migratory animal is this?
Oriole
Caribou
Of all the world's large animals, the caribou has one of the longest migrations. It will travel about 600 miles each way of its migration!
Reindeer
Southern right whale
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Which migratory animal is this?
Umbrella bird
Mallard duck
Cockatoo
This bird could have been inspired by the gel, spiked hair of the '90s. This bird is sometimes taken as a pet. Beware; it is known to be needy and can throw temper tantrums!
Oriole
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Which migratory animal is this?
Bull shark
Jellyfish
Bowhead whale
Can you believe a creature can be so large and have no teeth to munch and crunch on nutrients? That's right, the bowhead whale has no teeth! Instead, they use their mouth as a vacuum, keeping it open constantly while swimming and swallowing small creatures such as shrimp.
Semipalmated sandpiper
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Which migratory animal is this?
Beluga whale
This whale can be distinguished by its rounded head and extra-large forehead. If it were a human female, we'd suggest it get bangs! Some populations of belugas travel over 3,000 miles in the fall when they migrate south.
Semipalmated sandpiper
Manatee
Nightingale
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Which migratory animal is this?
Elephant
The elephant's migration pattern is not always the same; it varies from year to year depending on weather. Why does it depend on weather? These giant creatures need a lot of food each day to survive, so if there is a prolonged dry season, they'll need to move to get more grub!
Umbrella bird
Mallard duck
Burchelle's zebra
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Which migratory animal is this?
Tuna
Blue shark
Greenland shark
As its name suggests, this shark lives in the waters around Greenland, and also northern Canada and Iceland. Did you know one of these sharks is over 500 years old, and hasn't been found by scientists yet?
Umbrella bird
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Which migratory animal is this?
Snow goose
Dolphin
Dolphins do not migrate as far distances as other animals similar to it, such as the whale. Did you know that dolphins never fully fall asleep? They let one part of their brain sleep at a time, since they can't go for too long without coming to surface for air.
Semipalmated sandpiper
Tuna
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Which migratory animal is this?
Dolphin
Nightingale
Snow goose
Hummingbird
When most birds migrate, we see them flying in flocks, however the hummingbird prefers to travel solo. It is one of the few birds that migrates individually, rather than with a friend or group.
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Which migratory animal is this?
Chinook salmon
Gnu
American buffalo
Mallard duck
This duck is known for making its home in ponds and other wetlands. The male has a emerald green head, with striking white, gray and brown body markings.
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By Frebeck (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
Dragonfly
Firefly
Nightingale
This birdy has quite the voice! It sings with a compelling and strong chirp, and belts out a human-song like melody. The nightingale in England travels all the way to Africa for the winter!
Jellyfish
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Which migratory animal is this?
Semipalmated sandpiper
Snow goose
Don't get the snow goose confused with a swan, since they both are white! The snow goose is smaller than the swan, and lives further north. When spring begins, this goose will fly to the Arctic tundra to live.
Canada goose
African elephant
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Which migratory animal is this?
Red-crowned crane
Tuna
Did you know the bluefin tuna migrates two times each year? One is for feeding, and the other for spawning.
Sooty shearwater
Globe skimmer
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By MauricioCalderon (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
Semipalmated sandpiper
Blue shark
Umbrella bird
To see this bird, you'll have to adventure through the rainforests of Central and South America. Of all the perching birds in South America, the umbrella bird is the largest! This is specifically the bare-necked umbrella bird, which is endangered and found in Costa Rica and Panama. They can grow to between 16 - 14 inches!
Red crowned crane
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By Photo taken (in March 2005) and submitted by Walter Voigts. (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
Oriole
African elephant
Golden plover
Burchell's zebra
This subspecies of zebra got its name from William John Burchell, a British explorer. Most of this zebra's population lives in Kenya and Tanzania.
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Which migratory animal is this?
Oriole
As the baseball team name suggests, the oriole lives part of the year in Baltimore, Maryland. During the cold weather, it travels all the way to Central America!
Jellyfish
African elephant
American buffalo
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Which migratory animal is this?
Bull shark
Basking shark
Sea turtle
Did you know the sea turtle is one of the oldest creatures on Earth? Its facial expression even looks full of ancient wisdom!
Jellyfish
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Which migratory animal is this?
Golden plover
Blue shark
Manatee
This sea cow is a heavy, massive animal that can weigh up to 1,200 pounds. The manatee will travel to warmer waters if the water temperature drops below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bull shark
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Which migratory animal is this?
Dragonfly
White ibis
Ladybug
Ladybugs migrate out of necessity, since they cannot fly if the temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Some groups of ladybugs in California migrate to the Central Valley farm fields, where they have temperatures high enough to fly in!
Golden plover
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Which migratory animal is this?
American buffalo
Mako shark
If you hear a shark by the name of blue pointer or bonito shark, know that this is the mako shark. Whatever name you call it by, this shark can get ginormous. One was caught that weighed 1,000 pounds!
Basking shark
Red crab of Christmas Island
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Which migratory animal is this?
Reindeer
Did you know there's about 500,000 reindeer in the western arctic herd? That's a lot of reindeer to get run over by! Some reindeer travel over 3,100 miles per year!
Red crab of Christmas Island
Burchell's zebra
American buffalo
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Which migratory animal is this?
Swordfish
Have you ever been swimming in cold water and had your head get cold? The swordfish will never have this problem, since they have heating organs next to their eyes and brain! These sea creatures swim to warmer waters, the Canadian Exclusive Economic Zone, during the winter months.
Reindeer
Mako shark
Sea turtle
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By USGS [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
Red crab of Christmas Island
Fox
Red bat
Unlike most bats, the red bat has a rusty red color with white tips to their fur. How can you tell a female from a male? Females usually have more white in their fur.
Reindeer
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By S. Maslowski [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
Red bat
Southern right whale
Bobolink
This cute black and white bird can be found soaking up the sun in the southern inner part of South America. Some people think of this bird's coloring as if it's wearing a tuxedo backward!
Manatee
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Which migratory animal is this?
Sea turtle
Ladybug
Earthworm
Most think of migrating as moving across land, but the earthworm has a different take on their migratory pattern. They move down into the earth during the winter! They go below the frost line and wait for spring to melt away the ice, when they come back up again.
Red bat
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Which migratory animal is this?
Red crab of Christmas Island
White ibis
Dragonfly
Dogfish shark
Most dogfish sharks make their migration route along the northeastern coast of the U.S. each year. However, some more adventurous sharks have been found all the way in Iceland after having been tagged in Newfoundland!
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Which migratory animal is this?
Manatee
Gray whale
These whales are large creatures; they can get up to 45 feet long! Like other types of whales, they migrate once a year to warmer climates for breeding.
Monarch butterfly
Red crab of Christmas Island
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By Michaël CATANZARITI (by Michaël CATANZARITI) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
Pectoral sandpiper
Dragonfly
Southern right whale
These whales migrate once a year, and do so to give birth! They'll go to the Pacific Ocean's tropical waters to breed, then come back to their original homes in the spring.
Red crowned crane
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By Andreas Trepte (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.5 ], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
Pectoral sandpiper
This pretty, neutral-colored bird travels far south for winter. It lives in North America and Asia in the warmer months, and travels all the way to South America and Oceania in the winter.
Jellyfish
White ibis
Dragonfly
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Which migratory animal is this?
Oriole
Dragonfly
Since movement is the topic, check out the dragonfly's cool moving tricks. It can fly backward! Did you know the head of this incredible insect is all eyes?
White ibis
Jellyfish
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Which migratory animal is this?
White ibis
Walrus
Manatee
Jellyfish
Yes, these beautiful, dangerous creatures do migrate! They follow sunlight, and are even thought to be pulled by earth's magnetic field, just like salmon.
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Which migratory animal is this?
Walrus
Did you know walruses sometimes migrate by taking a ride on sea ice? What an energy-saving way to travel! They also swim to migrate, and will go for almost 2,000 miles!
Red crowned crane
Southern right whale
White ibis
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By Dick Daniels (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
Red crowned crane
White ibis
The white ibis is in the ibis and spoonbill family, and it migrates from the northern U.S. to Florida, Mexico, Cuba and other surrounding areas during the cold months.
Monarch butterfly
Dragonfly
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By KongFu Wang from Beijing, China (DSC_0765) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Which migratory animal is this?
Jellyfish
Canada goose
Dragonfly
Red crowned crane
Did you know this bird's red crown is actually their skin, not feathers? The red crowned crane is also called the Japanese crane, and it is one of the least frequently seen types of cranes in the world.
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You Got:
/50
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