Name the migratory bird that famously travels from regions near the North Pole to the South Pole and back during its long migration journeys.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: Arctic tern

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Bird migration is one of the most impressive phenomena in nature. Some birds travel thousands of kilometres between breeding and wintering grounds, crossing oceans and continents. Among them, one bird is especially famous for performing extremely long migrations from areas near the North Pole to regions near the South Pole and back. This question asks you to recall the name of that remarkable bird, which is a classic example used in school and competitive exam general knowledge.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The question describes a bird that migrates from the North Pole to the South Pole and back.
  • The options are Arctic tern, Swallow, Crane, and Penguin.
  • We assume familiarity with basic migration examples from textbooks.
  • We also assume that the exact route from polar to near polar regions is the key identifying clue.


Concept / Approach:
The Arctic tern is widely regarded as the champion of long distance migration among birds. It breeds in Arctic regions near the North Pole and migrates to Antarctic waters near the South Pole during the non breeding season, then returns again, covering enormous distances every year. Swallows and cranes are migratory but do not typically migrate from one pole to the other. Penguins live largely in southern hemisphere regions and do not make north pole to south pole round trips. Therefore, the approach is simply to recall which species is famous for near pole to pole migrations, which clearly points to the Arctic tern.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the key phrase in the question: migration from the North Pole region to the South Pole region and back. Step 2: Recall that the Arctic tern breeds near the Arctic and spends the non breeding season near Antarctic waters, making an almost pole to pole journey. Step 3: Consider Swallow, which migrates between Europe or Asia and Africa or South Asia but not between both polar regions. Step 4: Consider Crane, which also migrates long distances but is not described as a pole to pole traveller in basic GK. Step 5: Note that Penguins are mostly confined to southern latitudes and do not migrate to the North Pole, so they cannot fit the description. This confirms Arctic tern as the correct answer.


Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, recall that many exam guides list special records such as longest migrating bird, and they usually mention the Arctic tern. Descriptions highlight that it experiences two summers each year by moving between polar regions and covers tens of thousands of kilometres annually. No other bird in school level GK is repeatedly described in this way. The clear and unique association of near pole to pole migration with the Arctic tern confirms that it is the intended answer.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Swallow is wrong because its migration, though impressive, takes place between temperate and tropical zones and does not include both poles. Crane is incorrect, as cranes migrate between high latitude and lower latitude regions but are not known for North Pole to South Pole travel. Penguin is also wrong because most penguin species live in the southern hemisphere and do not undertake global pole to pole migrations. None of these options match the specific extreme migration described in the question.


Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to choose Penguin simply because it is strongly associated with cold polar images and students loosely connect that with both poles. Another mistake is to pick Swallow or Crane based purely on familiarity with migrating birds without paying attention to the exact wording about North Pole to South Pole journeys. Carefully reading the phrase and remembering that the Arctic tern is the record holder for long distance migration will prevent such errors.


Final Answer:
The correct bird is the Arctic tern, which is famous for its extremely long migration from Arctic breeding grounds to Antarctic seas and back again.

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