Now that's a Bird to look up to

[Donnywolf]

I couldn't resist posting this. Even if you are not remotely interested in Birds in any way this is staggering


The known migration world record has been broken by a bird in a single flight .... non stop .... No stop to sleep .... and no feeding either


Just for a bit of fun


How many miles in total did it do


How many continuous days did it do


No need to post answers ... Just make your ,2 estimates / guesses and be prepared for 2 shocks


No clue whatsoever but the bird was a Bar Tailed Godwit (a Wader like a Curlew) and is only 5 months old


https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/27/bar-tailed-godwit-sets-world-record-with-13560km-continuous-flight-from-alaska-to-southern-australia

[tommy toes]

Thanks for posting that John.
What a bird!

[Donnywolf]

Staggering performance for sure. They think it was part of a flock but only had that one with transmitter

Last record holder did  a couple of hundred miles less than this but has a Set of commemorative T Towels which they say will be retired and replaced to honour the new kid in town

See loads of these locally but bet they don't go so far

[River Don]

So how do they navigate when flying over vast expanses of ocean?

And how did a juvenile on its first migration know where it was going?

[tommy toes]

This'll shed some light on it RD.
An interesting read too.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/the-basics-how-why-and-where-of-bird-migration/#:~:text=Birds%20can%20get%20compass%20information,at%20least%20for%20homing%20pigeons.

[Filo]

I’ve always wondered how bird such as geese decide which one leads the flock at the tip of the V formation and how do the rest know if the one at the front knows where he’s going lol!

[Bentley Bullet]

They take turns in being lead bird.

[SydneyRover]

Unbelievable wolfie, that's the first time I've read about birds being able to shrink internal organs to give them more room for fat storage.

[Colemans Left Hook]

I read somewhere that once swallows are "born/hatch !!" they fly continuously for ever

...
Just remembered it was a programme on the radio and mentioned the patterns in the sky they collectively make


It all went over my head

[Donnywolf]

Did you mean Swift CLH.

Swallows often land for mud for nests etc whereas Swift's are alleged never to land and indeed if any of them do then they have to be assisted back into the air (or I suppose get eaten).

However that doesn't stack up either because there are nest boxes specifically designed for Swifts being put up each year to encourage them to breed

Therefore they land , to lay eggs and hatch them for a start but largely they are said to even sleep on the wing.


https://www.swift-conservation.org/Swift%20Facts.htm#:~:text=They%20feed%2C%20drink%2C%20mate%20and,are%20very%20hard%20to%20study.