Bar-tailed Godwit breaks non-stop bird flight record

A Bar-tailed Godwit has broken the non-stop bird flight record by flying more than 7,500 miles, from Alaska to New Zealand in 11 days.

The Bar-tailed Godwit set off from south-west Alaska on 16 September and arrived in a bay near Auckland 11 days later, having flown at speeds of up to 55mph.

The male bird had a 5gm satellite tag harnessed on its lower back to allow scientists to track its progress.

The journey is thought to have been prolonged by strong easterly winds, which pushed the group towards Australia, making the feat even more impressive.

Click here to read the full article on The Guardian.

The image of the Bar-tailed used with this article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. It was taken and all rights are reserved by Paul van de Velde.