Which songbird makes a nonstop autumn flight of about 3,000 km across the Atlantic Ocean?

The blackpoll warbler makes a nonstop autumn flight of about 3,000 km across the Atlantic Ocean.

This small North American songbird breeds in boreal forests from Alaska across Canada to Labrador. In autumn, many blackpoll warblers leave the northeastern coast and fly southeast over the Atlantic, often reaching the Caribbean before continuing toward northern South America.

The journey is remarkable because the bird weighs only about 12 grams before migration. It builds fat reserves, reduces some organs temporarily, and uses favorable winds to help power the long flight. The route is not the same as the spring journey, when birds generally travel over land through Central America.

Blackpoll warblers are sometimes confused with other streaked warblers, especially the bay-breasted warbler. The blackpoll’s white cheeks, black cap in breeding plumage, and white wing bars help distinguish it. The species is a regular migrant rather than a bird that remains in North America year-round.