During the rain season and particularly in a good rain season, the increase in the number of small, medium and large birds that grace our skies is astounding. The bird species that migrate to southern Africa and to Namibia range from tiny 8 g warblers to large 3 kg eagles. One of our visitors, the Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea holds the record for distance. This bird species weighs only 100 g and migrates 15 000 km, halfway around the world, twice a year. Most migrant birds arrive from around September. Some species arrive to feed, nest and breed. Others breed in Europe, Asia, some as far north as the Arctic Circle and they only migrate to the southern hemisphere to escape the icy northern winters and to utilize the abundance of food available in our warm and wet summer months. Then in April to early May as the southern hemisphere winter months approach, migrant birds begin flocking for their long return journeys to the northern hemisphere summer.