The five-month-old bar-tailed godwit smashed the record for long-distance migration following a non-stop, 11-day flight from Alaska to Tasmania.
Birdlife Tasmania convenor Eric Woehler said the bird probably lost “half or more of its body weight” during “continuous day and night flight”.
“If a godwit lands on water, it’s dead. It doesn’t have the webbing in its feet, it has no way of getting off the water.”
“So if it falls into the water from exhaustion, if bad weather forces it onto the ocean surface, that’s it.”
11 days. No rest. No food. Flying, flying flying. Tell me birds don’t have it all over humans.
Source: Massimo, Neatorama, ABC News Australia
I’ve never heard of a godwit till now, but now I’ll probably never forget it! What an astonishing story! And just a baby bird! Or perhaps adolescent. Truly amazing. So many non-human animals tend to have more determination and grit and strength than human animals.
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I feel everything you just said. Every word of it.
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Me too.
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