An 8,435 mile flight was recorded between Alaska and Ansons Bay, Tasmania, on the migratory route longest non-stop ever measured. The odyssey is not only a demonstration of the amazing capabilities of birds, but has also given scientists and environmentalists the opportunity to highlight the threats to the survival of these winged adventurers.
Bar-tailed Godwits are one of hundreds of bird species that breed during Alaska’s brief but abundant summer before escaping the harsh winter. Some go alone to the tropics, but others reach Australia or New Zealand. It’s an epic journey for any bird, but the needles don’t even stop along the way.
The Pūkorokoro Miranda Naturalists Trust has been using satellite trackers to monitor the round trip of the New Zealand contingent for years. Last year a record was set for 11,050 km, that is, 8,435 miles. However, earlier this year, a tracker was placed on a youngster born in the Alaskan spring.
However, instead of heading for New Zealand, this bird made a sharp right turn into the Tasman Sea to land there . The flight lasted 11 days.
Sean Dooley of BirdLife Australia told IFLScience that the subspecies has a wide distribution on the east coast of Australia, but Tasmania is as far away as possible from their breeding grounds. Consequently, if the new record is ever broken, it’s unlikely to be for long.
However, this bird is probably not a lone hero. Those of this species make the journey in large flocks, both to protect themselves from predators and to take turns following others, like cyclists in a pack.
Interestingly, while most billfishes fly south in a single trip, they are one of many species that take a longer route back to the coast of Asia, stopping in the Yellow Sea to rest.
The development in the area, particularly damage to coastal plains, has had a devastating effect on migratory bird species.
Trackers cannot answer the great mystery of how needles (like other migratory species) know which way to go. Whether the record was always headed for Tasmania, or strayed from New Zealand, is equally mysterious.
The birds feed on bristle worms and molluscs that live in the mud of coastal wetlands, accumulating so much fat that they must reduce the size of their digestive organs when they are ready to fly.
Adults leave Alaska 4 to 6 weeks before juveniles. Whatever the benefit to those leaving early, those weeks with less competition for food likely give young birds a chance to refuel for the epic flight.
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