Very few bird species make the Arctic their home year round. Winters are long, dark, and bitterly cold, and food can be scarce. Even with their dense plumage, resident birds must adapt to the extreme cold, often entering a hibernation-like sleep every night, and burrowing beneath the snow to keep warm.

The brief but prolific Arctic summer attracts migrant birds from all over the world. As the days grow longer and the air warms, flocks of birds arrive by the the millions. Birds arrive from Africa, Asia, South America, and even the Antarctic.

Many come to nest in the tundra, and as soon as they arrive begin establishing territories and choosing their mates.