‘Jet-fighter’ bird f lies 7,500 miles in one go

Wader sets record with 11-day journey (and no nap)

IF long-haul flights fill you with dread, spare a thought for one bird that flew 7,500 miles – without so much as a complementary snack.

The plucky little bar-tailed godwit has set the record for a bird’s longest non- stop flight – from Alaska to New Zealand in 11 days without so much as a nap.

Described as having the aerodynamic design of a jet fighter, the wader sped at up to 55mph across the Pacific Ocean before landing in a bay near Auckland – and considerably lighter than when it started.

The previous record, set in 2007 by another bar-tailed godwit, was a mere 7,260 miles.

After setting off on September 16, the male – known as 4BBRW in reference to the blue, blue, red and white rings fitted on its legs – was tracked using a satellite tag harnessed to its back.

The birds, which weigh up to 22oz, undertake the arduous journey when their breeding grounds in Alaska and the Arctic regions become too cold, making a season spent on the other side of the planet rather more appealing. Some perish on the way, while others tire and divert to rest.

Bar-tailed godwits, which have a wingspan of about 30in, can double in size before their long flight, shrinking their internal organs to offset the extra fat needed to fuel their epic journey.

The new record holder was one of four that left together from Alaskan mudflats where they had been feeding on clams and worms for two months. Amazingly, the birds are thought to stay awake all the way, and flap their wings most of the time.

It is not known why they choose such a long migration when other warm regions are nearer, but the route may provide wind- assisted passage with few predators. Dr Jesse Conklin, of the Global Flyway Network, a migratory bird research group, singled out their navigational ability, adding: ‘We can’t really explain it, but they seem to have an onboard map.

‘ They are flying over open ocean for days and days in the mid-Pacific – there is no land at all. Then they get to New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea where there are quite a few islands and... it really looks like they start spotting land and sort of think, “Oh, I need to start veering or I’ll miss New Zealand”.

‘They are designed like a jet fighter – long, pointed wings and a really sleek design.’

Although bar-tailed godwits fly the furthest in one journey, common swifts can stay in the air longer – for up to ten months – but don’t travel such great distances.