tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912713243046142041.post701977671890321266..comments2024-03-28T23:22:41.774-05:00Comments on TYWKIWDBI ("Tai-Wiki-Widbee"): The bar-tailed godwit can fly 11,000 kilometers. Nonstop.Minnesotastanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382888179579245181noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912713243046142041.post-25530436542679299362013-01-02T16:53:49.732-06:002013-01-02T16:53:49.732-06:00For them to use that little energy they they would...For them to use that little energy they they would have to do a great deal more gliding than flying. Human glider pilots can traverse upwards of 2,600 km without any opportunity to flap their wings. Very impressive for the little birds, but not impossible. nolanddahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708768497461983779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912713243046142041.post-63337944626832448382012-12-27T04:55:14.876-06:002012-12-27T04:55:14.876-06:00Yes, Colin, you may be correct about all those lon...Yes, Colin, you may be correct about all those longer aeroplane flights, but.... If you compare the size of the godwit to one of those commercial jets, then relatively speaking the bird wins many times hands down.<br /><br />As for the reason why they do this amazing feat, I heard once that some of these migratory birds have evolved from other migratory species many many millions of years and in that time the continents have moved considerably. But the newer birds haven't noticed the increased distances from A to B - well, who would? - and don't have the brains to question the flying distance anyway. So they just do it, as their parents did and their parents before them, although perhaps their name could be changed to Notawit or Havenowit... Wiki tells us that the name comes from the Old English for "good" and "white".Alexov54https://www.blogger.com/profile/13824145378199976259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912713243046142041.post-80102458245397007712012-12-26T17:18:03.118-06:002012-12-26T17:18:03.118-06:00Why New Zealand? Why not fly overland to Chile or ...Why New Zealand? Why not fly overland to Chile or some such? Who teaches them the way? Where is Dr Dolittle when you need him?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912713243046142041.post-84281493185138248892012-12-26T14:52:52.052-06:002012-12-26T14:52:52.052-06:00Really neat! Though the longest time flight infor...Really neat! Though the longest time flight information is a bit dated...<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_endurance_record<br /><br />There are also 30+ scheduled commercial flights that are longer in distance:<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-stop_flight#Currently_scheduled_.28top_30.2C_by_distance.29<br /><br />Still an amazing feat for a bird!Colinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09167014995606755901noreply@blogger.com