Spring migration is on the way, we'll soon start seeing colorful birds like orioles, buntings and warblers.
One of the amazing migrants that will not be seen by very many people is the Bar-tailed Godwit. This shorebird nests in Alaska and parts of northern Europe/Asia and winters in the southern hemisphere. Using new technology, Bar-tailed Godwits were tracked on their migration path in 2009. It was revealed that some fly a distance of 6,500 miles, non-stop! A trip that took 175 hours, or about 7 1/2 days.
These are relatively small birds, about 16 inches long, but have very long, pointed wings. They do not soar, they "fly."
Bar-tailed Godwit in winter plumage. Photograph by Tom Grey.