This (or very similar) was reported on the BBC web site about 18
months ago: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6988720.stm.
Nick
From:
Robin Hide [
Sent: Wednesday, 22 April 2009 17:33
To: COG line
Subject: [canberrabirds] Extreme endurance flights by landbirds crossing
the Pacific Ocean
This open access paper is available for free download from:
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/276/1656/447.full.pdf+html
Robert E Gill, Jr.et al. (2009). “Extreme endurance flights by landbirds
crossing the Pacific Ocean: ecological corridor rather than barrier?” Proceedings
of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 276(1656
): 447-457.
Abstract: Mountain ranges, deserts, ice fields and oceans generally act
as barriers to the movement of land dependent animals, often profoundly shaping
migration routes. We used satellite telemetry to track the
southward flights of bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica baueri ),
shorebirds whose breeding and nonbreeding areas are separated by the vast
central Pacific Ocean. Seven females with surgically implanted
transmitters flew non-stop 8117–11 680 km (10 153G1043 s.d.) directly across
the Pacific Ocean; two males with external transmitters flew non-stop along the
same corridor for 7008–7390 km. Flight duration
ranged from 6.0 to 9.4 days (7.8G1.3 s.d.) for birds with implants and 5.0 to
6.6 days for birds with externally attached transmitters. These extraordinary
non-stop flights establish new extremes for avian
flight performance, have profound implications for understanding the
physiological capabilities of vertebrates and how birds navigate, and challenge
current physiological paradigms on topics such as sleep,
dehydration and phenotypic flexibility. Predicted changes in climatic systems
may affect survival rates if weather conditions at their departure hub or along
the migration corridor should change.We propose that
this transoceanic route may function as an ecological corridor rather than a
barrier, providing a windassisted passage relatively free of pathogens and
predators.
