Colour Print - "Bar-tailed Godwit 4BBRW" (6488)

Description

A Bar-tailed godwit has just recorded the longest ever flight by a land bird, flying non-stop from Alaska to New Zealand. The bird, known as 4BBRW, was tracked from its breeding grounds in Alaska as it flew about 12-thousand kilometres non-stop to New Zealand. 4BBRW is currently recouperating on the mudflats at Miranda near Auckland. Because the little male was pushed off course in bad weather, he's believed to have travelled further than the legendary E7, which in 2007 smashed all previous records and proved once and for all that godwits are indeed capable of undertaking the epic journey without stopping. Our producer Matthew Theunissen spoke with Adrian Riegen from the Pukorokora Miranda Shorebird Centre, who's been closely tracking the bird's incredible feat.