Migratory Birds

These birds undertake epic seasonal migrations — crossing continents and oceans to follow food and breeding opportunities.

By the Global Animal Guide editorial team Last reviewed July 16, 2026 Cite this page How we research & review

Rankings use stats and conservation status from our species database. For IUCN categories, verify current assessments on the IUCN Red List.

Migratory Birds compared

Migratory Birds: size, speed, lifespan, native range and conservation status
Animal	Weight	Length	Top speed	Lifespan	Native to	Status
Barn Owl Tyto alba	500 g	35 cm	50 km/h	4 yrs	Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania	Least Concern
Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus	6.3 kg	2.3 m	120 km/h	25 yrs	North America	Least Concern
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus	900 g	50 cm	389 km/h	15 yrs	North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania	Least Concern
Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus	1 g	10 cm	12 km/h	1 yrs	North America	Vulnerable
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae	30,000 kg	15 m	27 km/h	80 yrs	Oceans	Least Concern
Emperor Penguin Aptenodytes forsteri	40 kg	1.2 m	12 km/h	20 yrs	Antarctica	Near Threatened
Reindeer Rangifer tarandus	120 kg	2 m	80 km/h	15 yrs	Asia, Europe, North America	Vulnerable