SearchThey have an incredibly efficient fuel-to-energy rate. They have a lot of things going for them. They are designed like a jet fighter. Long, pointed wings and a really sleek design which gives them a lot of aerodynamic potential.”
Can you guess what Dr.Jesse Conklin of the Global Flyway Network is describing here? A new airplane maybe?
In fact, he’s describing the Bar-tailed Godwit. This is a bird that now holds the world record for the longest recorded non-stop flight of approximately 7,500 miles (12,000 km) from Alaska to New Zealand. The flight took 11 days, mainly over ocean, with speeds of up to 55 mph.
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica), Taren Point Shorebird Reserve, New South Wales, Australia
Various tags on the birds legs allowed scientists to monitor the flight. This particular bird left the Alaska mudflats with four companions after first feeding for two months on worms and clams. Apparently, the bird can “shrink its internal organs” during the flight.
No one really knows how these birds manage this flying non-stop feat—how they navigate, especially over the ocean and whether or not they sleep, but it is thought that they flap their wings most of the time. Let’s hope there’s plenty of food in New Zealand because these birds are due to make the return flight in March.
