Remarkable Endurance

[RichW]

A recent article in the NYTimes about probably the world champion of endurance - that is the Bar-tailed Godwit - a bird that migrates between New Zealand and Alaska.

This bird's migratory pattern was just recently discovered, after tracking devices were attached to some of the birds. These birds fly the 7000 miles between Alaska and New Zealand without stopping to rest, to eat, to have water, or to sleep. They fly between 3 and 5 miles high in altitude. The flight takes up to 10 days.

story is here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/20/science/migratory-birds-godwits.html

[Boatbum]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

A recent article in the NYTimes about probably the world champion of endurance - that is the Bar-tailed Godwit - a bird that migrates between New Zealand and Alaska.

This bird's migratory pattern was just recently discovered, after tracking devices were attached to some of the birds. These birds fly the 7000 miles between Alaska and New Zealand without stopping to rest, to eat, to have water, or to sleep. They fly between 3 and 5 miles high in altitude. The flight takes up to 10 days.

story is here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/20/s...s-godwits.html

10 days of nonstop flight without food or water. Is that biomechanically possible? Most birds need to eat 2-3 times their body weight every day.

[Hallam]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

They take advantage of the slipstream. The short tailed shearwater in our local waters does similar.

[Jim Mahan]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

10 days of nonstop flight without food or water. Is that biomechanically possible? Most birds need to eat 2-3 times their body weight every day.

Maybe they don't stop to eat because they packed a lunch. Or because they eat stuff they catch on the wing. Or

The birds don't need their guts to feed during long migration flights; therefore, due to specific adaptation, they shrink them and replace the weight with fat and muscle.

http://animalia.bio/bar-tailed-godwit

[bluedog225]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

I’m sure the tracker was appreciated.

[Jimmy W]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

Ring-billed gulls breed in the northern US and Canada. In the winter, you see many flocks down here. Last fall, I noticed some floating south down the Mississippi River. The smart way to migrate.

[JayInOz]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

I’m sure the tracker was appreciated.

Hahahaha Winner. JayInOz

[LeeG]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

[LeeG]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

what an awesome bird

[Hallam]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

Amazing really. apparently some migrate to Australia.

https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/bar-tailed-godwit

[birlinn]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

Our Arctic Terns do 22,000 mile round trips every year.
However they do feed on the way.

[David G]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

Impressive feat.

And a reminder of the wonderous multitude of adaptations that various species have made in order to make a living here on our planet.

[dutchpp]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

An Arctic Tern was tagged with a tracker in the Netherlands, the little guy (100 gram) logged a whopping 90.000 kilometers in a year.
We should treat them with more respect

[john welsford]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

Maybe they don't stop to eat because they packed a lunch. Or because they eat stuff they catch on the wing. Or

http://animalia.bio/bar-tailed-godwit

Their "fuel" is the fat that they build up in the couple of months prior to the migration. A few do stop along the way to refuel, but the majority make it in one hop. They're just beginning to arrive here in NZ, their preferred "home zone" is a protected area around the western side of the Firth of Thames, they spread out from there then just before heading north again the flock reassembles and stocks up on "fuel" before heading out.

John Welsford

[Hallam]

Re: Remarkable Endurance

Impressive feat.

And a reminder of the wonderous multitude of adaptations that various species have made in order to make a living here on our planet.

I thought the beak was more impressive!