Longest Non-Stop Bird Migration
Bar-Tailed Godwits, as a species, hold the record for making the longest non-stop migratory flight, but one unlucky bird took an accidental detour and ended up setting the individual record. Godwits make their 7,000 mile journey from Alaska to New Zealand every year without ever stopping to rest, eat, or drink. This trip usually takes 8-10 days and nights of continuous wing flapping. In 2021, a male godwit with the tag code 4BBRW encountered some bad weather and got off-course on his way south, according to nytimes.com. He eventually landed in Australia after traveling 8,080 miles for 237 nonstop hours!