Traveling with Frequent Fliers (Full Episode) | Incredible Animal Journeys | Nat Geo Animals

♪ ♪ [chirp] To start a family, some of the smallest animals make the biggest journeys. [chirping] And when you're barely the size of a human hand, the best way to travel long distance is to fly. [chirping] This barn swallow spends her winter in South Africa, where there's lots for her to eat. ♪ ♪ But it's not her home. [chirping] ♪ ♪ [elephant trumpets] ♪ ♪ [church bell rings] Every spring she's got to fly 6,000 miles back to England... ♪ ♪ ...to reunite with her lifelong partner and raise their chicks. [chirping] It's a long-distance love story. ♪ ♪ But there are no guarantees. ♪ ♪ Less than half of all swallows survive the round trip. [elephant trumpets] ♪ ♪ In South Africa, it's time to get going. ♪ ♪ [chirping] Summer is coming in England, and with it, longer days and the bugs she'll need to feed her growing family. ♪ ♪ Her strategy? Fly fast... ♪ ♪ ...and travel light. ♪ ♪ For that, she needs pristine flight feathers. ♪ ♪ So she starts with a spring clean. ♪ ♪ On this trip, nothing comes easy. ♪ ♪ [chirping] Probably the fastest freshwater fish on the planet. Over two feet of muscle, African tigerfish... ♪ ♪ ...are explosive predators. ♪ ♪ [chirping] ♪ ♪ Less-experienced birds get blindsided. ♪ ♪ [chirping] If this endurance athlete's feathers aren't in peak condition, she'll never go the distance. ♪ ♪ So she's got to take the risk. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ With a flick of her tail feathers, she turns on a dime. ♪ ♪ She's got the skills to take a bath with a hungry tigerfish... ♪ ♪ ...and win. ♪ ♪ The clock is ticking. ♪ ♪ She only has six short weeks to make it. ♪ ♪ And she's not the only one heading north. ♪ ♪ Across the globe, billions of frequent fliers take to the skies, setting off in search of summer. ♪ ♪ [grumbling] Making incredible journeys, chasing the sun. ♪ ♪ All racing to the best place to start their families. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ In central Mexico... ♪ ♪ ...another great airborne marathon is about to begin. ♪ ♪ Like the swallow, this monarch butterfly flew south to escape the harsh northern winter. ♪ ♪ This remote forest is perfect for hibernation. ♪ ♪ The spring sunlight wakes her from five months of sleep. ♪ ♪ But there's no food here to raise her family. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ So, she's got to race north to make the most of the summer. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ She's one of tens of millions, all still finding their wings. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ A quick drink fully reboots her system... ...releasing vital energy reserves. ♪ ♪ There's just one more thing she needs to do before she leaves. ♪ ♪ Find a mate. ♪ ♪ There's no shortage of males. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Job done. ♪ ♪ It's the only part he'll play in her story. ♪ ♪ With less than a month to live, the distance ahead is impossible for her alone. ♪ ♪ So it's a mission she'll pass down to her daughters and granddaughters in an epic multi-generational relay race. ♪ ♪ A 2,000-mile flight north to the American prairies, the perfect place for her great-grandchildren to grow up. [birds chirping] ♪ ♪ The power of flight is the only way to cross an entire continent at pace. ♪ ♪ The swallows cover 2,000 miles in just 10 days. ♪ ♪ And she's entering the African savanna. [elephants grumbling] [chirping] There's no margin for error. ♪ ♪ To stay light and nimble, she carries almost nothing in reserve. ♪ ♪ [chirping] ♪ ♪ So, she constantly needs to refuel. ♪ ♪ This place is crawling with tasty bugs... ♪ ♪ [insects singing] ...but they're tucked away in the long grass, just out of reach. ♪ ♪ So, she enlists the help of giants. ♪ ♪ [grumbling] ♪ ♪ [trumpeting] [grumbling] As these heavyweight travelers stir up the grass... ♪ ♪ ...she snatches bug... ♪ ♪ [buzzing] ...after bug. [trumpeting] ♪ ♪ [grumbling] Up to 10 in a minute. ♪ ♪ The perfect inflight meal. [chirping] Now everyone's got the same idea. ♪ ♪ [grumbling] ♪ ♪ [trumpeting] There's no time to waste. ♪ ♪ Stretching out ahead of her, 4,000 miles still to go, across desert and ocean before she gets back to England to her mate and starts her family. ♪ ♪ In the race to summer, you've got to keep your foot on the gas. ♪ ♪ The monarch is 500 miles into her epic quest. ♪ ♪ Entering the scorched deserts of the southern U.S. ♪ ♪ Here, the mercury can hit 95 degrees, but the sun is what keeps this cold-blooded bug on the move, warming her muscles so she can fly. Temperatures plummet at nightfall. So, for now, she's grounded. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ She's not the only frequent flier waiting on the desert sun. [humming] At this time of year, Costa's hummingbirds are also looking for the best place to start their family. ♪ ♪ This male weighs less than a tenth of an ounce. ♪ ♪ But he's traveled over 100 miles... [humming] ...lured by irresistible blooms of flowers. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [chirping] Now he needs the power of the sun to help him win a mate. ♪ ♪ Female Costa's hummingbirds are notoriously picky. ♪ ♪ They want to be wowed. ♪ ♪ But the canyon's still in shade. ♪ ♪ He's got to be patient. ♪ ♪ But then... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ...it's finally his time to shine. ♪ ♪ [chirping] ♪ ♪ He flexes those flashy feathers around his throat, known as a gorget... ♪ ♪ ...to catch the light just right. ♪ ♪ Not quite the reaction he was hoping for. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ One last dance to win her over. ♪ ♪ His glowing performance pays off. ♪ ♪ [chirping] The beginning of their own journey together. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ On the desert's edge, the morning sun is still powering up the monarch. ♪ ♪ Her wings work like solar panels, raising her body temperature to 60 degrees. ♪ ♪ Ready for takeoff. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ She's also using the sun like a GPS to keep her heading north. ♪ ♪ She only has a few weeks left to complete her leg of the relay. ♪ ♪ [camels bellowing] ♪ ♪ As a tiny traveler, there are some places you just can't afford to stop. ♪ ♪ Racing to reunite with her mate, the swallow's on the toughest part of her trip. ♪ ♪ The Sahara Desert. ♪ ♪ Searing hot. Nothing to drink. ♪ ♪ Where many others have fallen... ♪ ♪ ...desperately thirsty, she needs to escape these dunes. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ But the desert's not finished with her yet. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Sandstorms come out of nowhere. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Weighing less than an ounce... ...a battle against 40-mile-an-hour winds is a fight she cannot win. ♪ ♪ She's pushed everything right to the wire. She can only survive a few days without drinking. This could be her last chance. ♪ ♪ She needs water soon or she'll die. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Finally, the one thing that will save her life. ♪ ♪ An oasis. ♪ ♪ Many won't have even made it this far. ♪ ♪ [chirp] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ She's flown the length of Africa... ♪ ♪ ...but she still has almost 2,000 miles to go. ♪ ♪ At this time of year, she's just one of billions of birds following flight paths. ♪ ♪ The world's busiest flyway runs Africa to Europe, and everyone's rushing home to start their families. ♪ ♪ In Israel, huge flocks of birds like pelicans and storks take the long way around. [honking] Harnessing thermals, the powerful updrafts of warm air that form over land... [honking] ...to soar effortlessly. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The super-powered swallow doesn't need help from thermals. She can take the shortcut, racing across the Mediterranean Sea into Europe. In Texas, the monarch is close to exhaustion. With her last reserves, she's seeking out the perfect spot to lay her eggs. ♪ ♪ Using her amazing sense of smell, she's on the hunt for milkweed, the only food her babies will eat. ♪ ♪ It's a plant which was once abundant. ♪ ♪ But now, over three quarters of the state is farmland... ...choked by pesticides and weed killers. ♪ ♪ For a butterfly, it's effectively a desert. ♪ ♪ It's not just farms that have replaced wild landscapes. ♪ ♪ Reaching the suburbs of Austin, she's running on empty. [siren] But incredibly, in flight from over 400 feet away, she's found the needle in the haystack. ♪ ♪ This backyard has exactly what she needs for her eggs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ She lays hundreds on milkweed specially planted to help migrating monarchs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ But she'll never meet her babies. ♪ ♪ Before they even hatch, she takes her last breath. ♪ ♪ Her mission is complete. ♪ ♪ This is the true miracle of the monarch migration. ♪ ♪ It's not a marathon. It's a relay race. ♪ ♪ After about four days, her caterpillars hatch in the perfect nursery surrounded by food. And that's all this little bug has on her mind. ♪ ♪ Milkweed is poisonous, yet she's not only immune, she's using it for her own defense. Storing the deadly chemicals in her body, she makes herself toxic... ♪ ♪ ...wearing bright colors as a warning signal. ♪ ♪ In just two weeks, she'll eat and grow and eat and grow... ...until she's 3,000 times bigger. ♪ ♪ Spinning sticky silk to hang from, she forms a chrysalis. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Over the next 10 days, she breaks herself down into a kind of genetic soup... ♪ ♪ ...before putting herself back together... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ...and emerging as a butterfly. ♪ ♪ She's her mother's daughter... ♪ ♪ ...born with the same mission... ♪ ♪ ...and the same built-in GPS. ♪ ♪ She sets off to fly as far north as she can within her own short lifespan. [siren] So her daughters stand a chance of making it to the prairies. ♪ ♪ [chirping] The swallow is also racing the clock... [church bell ringing] ...making up for lost time. ♪ ♪ Powering on through Europe, using every navigational trick in her book. ♪ ♪ Following rivers northwards, piloting around buildings she recognizes from trips before. ♪ ♪ Still 1,000 miles to go until home, where her mate should be waiting. So she keeps moving. ♪ ♪ But not everyone has quite so far to go. [chirping] Here, in central Europe, others are already settling in for summer. [chirping] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This guy, a European bee-eater, was born in these meadows last year. ♪ ♪ He spent winter in Africa, alongside the swallows. ♪ ♪ [chirping] Now he's back and looking for love. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [chirp] The competition is fierce. ♪ ♪ Watching older males duke it out, he's thinking twice about getting involved. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Perhaps there's an easier way? ♪ ♪ An offering of an insect seems to work for others. [buzz] A courtship technique known as nuptial gifting. [chirping] ♪ ♪ [chirping] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ He needs to get in on the action. [insect buzzing] ♪ ♪ But these bugs are giving him the runaround. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [neigh] ♪ ♪ [horse snorting] [chirping] [snort] Here's an idea. Just like the swallow, who caught bugs around the elephants in Africa. ♪ ♪ [neigh] Maybe these horses will do. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It pays to be persistent. ♪ ♪ But is his gift a winner? ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Now, surrounded by plenty of tasty food to feed their chicks, young love can bloom. [chirping] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ 10 weeks after the monarchs head out from Mexico, it's her daughter who's now made it to Oklahoma. ♪ ♪ Roadsides are a surprising slice of paradise. ♪ ♪ The perfect place to refuel. ♪ ♪ Or so it might seem. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Stunned, she needs time to pull herself together. ♪ ♪ But there's an even greater danger coming down the track. ♪ ♪ A metal monster is headed straight for her. ♪ ♪ Millions of monarchs end up as roadkill. One of the biggest causes of death. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Too close for comfort. ♪ ♪ Time to move on. ♪ ♪ With summer just around the corner, for the swallow, the end is already in sight. ♪ ♪ [chirp] ♪ ♪ The southwest coast of England. ♪ ♪ Not far now. ♪ ♪ [church bell ringing] Everyone's racing to get home. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ But they're under surveillance... ...by a master hunter. ♪ ♪ [chirping] ♪ ♪ This bird of prey, a hobby, has also flown north from Africa to take advantage of new arrivals. ♪ ♪ [chirping] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Reaching up to 40 miles an hour in pursuit... ...he is one of the few birds of prey fast enough to catch the acrobatic swallow in flight. ♪ ♪ [chirping] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ He's locked on target. [chirping] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [chirping] ♪ ♪ But she's not going to be someone's dinner, not today. One last push. ♪ ♪ Over 6,000 miles after leaving South Africa, her laser-like focus can still pinpoint exactly what she's looking for. ♪ ♪ This tiny farmyard where she and her partner nested last year. ♪ ♪ [cock-a-doodle-doo!] ♪ ♪ Finally, home sweet home. ♪ ♪ She crossed continents to be here, made up for lost time. ♪ ♪ But her mate is nowhere to be seen. [chirping] He made the same journey solo and should have been back by now. ♪ ♪ [sheep bleating] ♪ ♪ The average lifespan of a swallow is just three years. ♪ ♪ This could be her last chance to raise a family. ♪ ♪ All she can do now is wait and hope. ♪ ♪ While the swallow has made her journey in one go... [grunting] ...it's taken the monarch three generations to reach the promised land. ♪ ♪ The glorious prairies of the American Midwest. ♪ ♪ One of the only places with enough food to fuel the next generation. ♪ ♪ Once, these rich landscapes blanketed almost a third of North America. ♪ ♪ [barking] The isolated fragments that remain still teem with life. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ All like the monarch, reaping the rewards of summer. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ She's achieved the impossible, finishing what her grandmother started six months ago. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ But the end of this journey is really just the beginning of an even more incredible story. ♪ ♪ The caterpillars that hatch here are what's known as a super generation. ♪ ♪ They build up huge reserves of energy... ♪ ♪ ...putting enough gas in the tank to fly the entire 2,000 miles back to Mexico in one straight shot. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Without these fertile grasslands, this miraculous migration could be lost forever. ♪ ♪ [insect buzzing] [sheep bleating] Some are still waiting for their happily ever after. ♪ ♪ The swallow's patiently holding out for her partner to return. ♪ ♪ [chirping] Every year there's a risk that one of them won't make it home alive. ♪ ♪ [chirp] [chirping] Another male tries his luck. But she's not giving up on her mate just yet. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [chirping] Finally. ♪ ♪ Her loyalty pays off. ♪ ♪ [chirping] ♪ ♪ Together again, there's no time to waste. ♪ ♪ Only one thing left to do. ♪ ♪ Renovate last year's nest to be ready for their chicks. ♪ ♪ [clucking] With a cozy feather bed. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [rooster crows] [pig grunting] [growling] [chirping] ♪ ♪ [growl] [cluck] She's not come all this way to be beaten by a feather. ♪ ♪ [groan] [meow] ♪ ♪ [snorting] ♪ ♪ Her incredible journey is complete. ♪ ♪ [oinking] [chirping] But all migrations are a never-ending story. ♪ ♪ In just a few months, she'll fly back south for winter. ♪ ♪ Like so many other frequent fliers, crossing continents year after year to give her family a flying start for their own adventures. ♪ ♪