Bar-tailed Godwit breaks record for longest non-stop flight

There's already too many forums on ATS but it's hard to find one for this. We could use a simple Nature forum for items such as this. This tiny bird logged thousands of miles and a few hundred more than it was supposed to.

You are probably wondering how we know this. Well, they attached a really tiny gps on the bird to follow it. I was thinking it was a bunk article when I heard of it but no, it's true. Had to be a really tiny device as the bird is really small.

www.bbc.co.uk...

Taking flight, they head for breeding grounds and places in which to feed for the next few months - many trying to escape the colder weather. But one bird set off on a great journey of discovery... and smashed the record for a non-stop bird flight, racking up a whopping 13,560 kilometres over 11 days. The bar-tailed godwit - a type of wetland bird - flew from Alaska but took an unexpected turn, and clocked up an extra 500km than it usually would! In doing so, it broke the record that was also previously held by a godwit!

It's a journey that could have been deadly for the lucky young bird, but it managed to cross the vast Pacific Ocean safely.

Eric Woehler from Birdlife Tasmania said the bird probably lost "half or more of its body weight" during "continuous day and night flight".

Godwits typically travel to New Zealand, but somehow this young bird took a 90-degree turn and landed in eastern Tasmania, an island off the south coast of Australia!

In doing so, Dr Woehler said this "wrong turn" increased the assumed "flight capacity" of the species.

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

Crossed the Pacific, wow! Amazing for such a little bird.

Reminds me of this:

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

That little bird found some Bird Amphetamine and set out on a mission

Like it wasn't hard enough he had to tote at least a little extra. A tip of my hat to the tiny Godwit with a huge heart.

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

Obviously it was a male bar-tailed godwit, a female would have stopped & asked for directions.
Was glad to see the birds flight was intentional an not due to weather.
Little over achiever!!