Icelandic whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus islandicus) fly 6000 km every autumn from Iceland to West Africa over the Atlantic Ocean, holding the current record for non-stop migration in the East Atlantic Flyway. We recently discovered that juveniles do the same incredible flights when they are just two months old. While some might be able to depart with adults that may lead the way, several juveniles travel later, accompanied only by other naïve youngsters. Nevertheless, our pilot data shows that they reach West Africa in one single flight! Comparing migrations of juveniles accompanied by adults with those that migrate without them allows to assess how much they rely on their instinct or learn from experienced birds, including using Icelandic habitats to fuel this incredible journey. It may be possible that juveniles have innate information that can guide them during migration but naive birds may experience lower migratory performance and thus be less likely to survive.
