8400 Miles Nonstop

The bar-tailed godwit caught birddom by surprise When word got out just how far this bird flies A juvenile Limosa lapponica, satellite tag 2-3-4-6-8-4 flew nonstop from Alaska to the Tasmanian shore! 13,560 kilometers nonstop, eleven days and nights A new world record for marathon bird flights "From Alaska to Tasmania? The devil, you say!" cried ravens and crows, "Every bird knows, claiming to fly 8400 miles To the Tasmanian isles— is the height of audacity! No bird has the capacity We protest with pugnacity Demanding veracity!" The godwits conveyed a very chill groove They had, after all nothing to prove having set the prior world records in '20 and '21 A controversy was brewing Would their achievements be undone? A commission was appointed for a bird's-eye review into the facts of the matter the truth to pursue Wise owls were chosen to adjudicate this claim To settle once and for all who deserved the acclaim Only item considered had scientific backing Since satellite data Allowed accurate tracking Of the tagged young bird's ultramarathon flights The facts indisputable No need for bird fights, ending investigation into this migration gyration Bar-tailed godwits awarded the Oiseau de Plume for being the farthest nonstop flying bird in the room The Arctic terns too received acclamation For flying the farthest In their migration—pole to pole, 24,000 miles each year causing most birds present to stand up and cheer in spontaneous applause— But not all birds were willing To concede their cause Displaying proclivity to resist the festivity The crows and ravens As they stormed out the door vowed in unison, wings clenched, "Nevermore!" 10/28/2022 Based on a true story with poetic license added for spice. When was the last time you flew 8400 miles nonstop? A bar-tailed godwit flew nonstop over 8400 miles from Alaska to Tasmania from October 13 through 24, 2022, setting a new world record for nonstop bird flight. Further adding to the godwit's rockstar status, the National Audubon Society website explains: "Unlike albatross or other long-flying seabirds, godwits are active flyers, not gliders—their wings are moving the whole time." That's amazing!