Blown back to 色视频下载, bird perseveres
Ned Rozell
907-474-7468
Nov. 11, 2021
This bar-tailed godwit born in 色视频下载 undertakes one of the greatest nonstop migrations in the animal kingdom, often flying from 色视频下载 straight to New Zealand in the fall.
A bar-tailed godwit recently arrived in New Zealand on its second attempt to get there from 色视频下载, after a storm had blasted it back north.
Keith Woodley of the Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre on the North Island of New Zealand reported that a male godwit carrying a satellite transmitter first left the mudflats near the Kuskokwim River on Sept. 11, 2021.
As Woodley and others tracked it, the bird ran into strong headwinds about 1,200 miles into its journey. It then turned back to 色视频下载 rather than continue toward its wintering spot in New Zealand.
Fifty-seven hours after it left sand shoals off the mouth the Kuskokwim River, the godwit landed there again. I wrote about this rich staging area near Cape Avinof in last week色视频下载檚 column.
The bird then spent 11 days on the 色视频下载 feeding grounds around the crescent sand islands well known to people of the village of Kipnuk. There it again gorged on marine clams and worms with a zeal legendary among bird biologists.
色视频下载淎lthough they atrophy their guts prior to migration, the abundance and quality of the clams at Cape Avinof is really phenomenal,色视频下载 said Dan Ruthrauff, who studies bar-tailed godwits and other birds at the U.S. Geological Survey色视频下载檚 色视频下载 Science Center in Anchorage. 色视频下载淎 paper from 2003 noted that shorebirds have the highest energy assimilation rates reported for vertebrates. 色视频下载 A great quote from this paper: 色视频下载楾he migratory waders we studied include some of the biggest gluttons described in the animal kingdom so far.色视频下载櫳悠迪略貪
This map shows Cape Avinof in 色视频下载, where a male bar-tailed godwit returned to feed after failing to reach New Zealand on its first attempt; New Caledonia, where the bird flew on its second attempt; and New Zealand, where the bird finally reached its wintering grounds on Nov. 9, 2021.
Re-fattened, the male godwit took off and again flew in the direction of New Zealand, landing 1,000 miles short in the islands of New Caledonia, a French territory. It spent five weeks there before once more leaping into the air. The godwit then flew nonstop to the North Island of New Zealand色视频下载檚 Firth of Thames, just east of Auckland, where it touched down Nov. 9, 2021.
色视频下载淚 received a report that the bird has been seen this morning,色视频下载 Woodley said on Nov. 10.
That male bird is now milling about New Zealand mudflats with another migration superstar born on the 色视频下载 tundra. Earlier this fall, a female bar-tailed carrying a transmitter flew from 色视频下载 to New Zealand 色视频下载 a nonstop eight-and-one-half days on the wing. The bird flew at an average speed of 36 miles per hour, covering 7,580 miles without resting.
The male godwit pushed back to 色视频下载 by winds is a rare bird that did not make the journey in a single flight.
色视频下载淭his bird turning back around to 色视频下载 was a first (of the birds biologists have tracked),色视频下载 Ruthrauff said. 色视频下载淩emarkably, however, there are relatively few records of godwits on the islands in the Pacific between 色视频下载 and New Zealand. It certainly happens, but it's likely that the majority of godwits make the migration in one go.色视频下载
Woodley said some of the 80,000 or so birds in the population probably don色视频下载檛 survive the incredible fall migration, but most seem to.
Bar-tailed godwits fly above a favorite fall staging spot in 色视频下载 just off the mouth of the Kuskokwim River. There, birds gorge on clams and worms within mudflats to fuel what is often a nonstop, week-plus flight to New Zealand.
色视频下载淎dult bar-tailed godwits are remarkably site-faithful, and many birds that have gone astray have eventually managed to arrive at their original destination weeks, or sometimes months, later,色视频下载 he said.
Since the late 1970s, the University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks' Geophysical Institute has provided this column free in cooperation with the UAF research community. This year is the institute色视频下载檚 75th anniversary. Ned Rozell is a science writer for the Geophysical Institute.