Tagging Migratory Birds with the Wings of Survival Expedition

In January 2026, our Wings of Survival team traveled to Chiloé Island in Chilean Patagonia and successfully equipped five whimbrels, a shorebird species that commits to one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom, with GPS tags. These tiny ‘backpacks’ allow us to live-track these five individuals and if all goes well, they will arrive in their breeding grounds in Alaska this May, before they once again return to South America in July. For the first time ever, two humans will emulate the daring journeys of a long-distance migratory bird species along a global flight path, to offer a unique perspective into one of nature’s greatest spectacles.