Extreme Endurance Flights By Landbirds Crossing The Pacific Ocean: Ecological Corridor Rather Than Barrier?

Imagine exercising nonstop for a week. The bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica), a sleek shorebird, does just that and more. With the help of miniaturized satellite transmitters godwits were tracked flying between Alaska and New Zealand, directly across the central Pacific Ocean. Constantly flapping their wings and taking no breaks to rest, eat or drink, godwits flew for 6 to 9 days over distances of 8,000 to 11,700 km.

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Filed under: Veterinary on October 27th, 2008