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Nature & Environment

Swifts travel 3,000 miles in five days

By T.K. Randall
June 20, 2012 · Comment icon 8 comments

Image Credit: CC 2.0 Billy Lindblom
Scientists have recorded swifts flying vast distances of over 3,000 miles in the space of a few days.
The remarkable journey has been documented by tagging the birds with special geolocation devices that can track where they are. Researchers found that some of the birds managed to keep up an average speed of 25mph for five days non-stop, traveling over 3,000 miles during their migration from Africa to the UK.

Amazingly, some birds can fly even faster and further - the great snipe is able to fly at 60mph and cover over 4,000 miles in under four days.
A common swift (Apus apus) has been recorded covering more than 3,100 miles in just five days during its migration from Africa back to the UK.


Source: Telegraph | Comments (8)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #1 Posted by lightly 12 years ago
Wow! hence the name?
Comment icon #2 Posted by Chooky88 12 years ago
Is that an African or European Swift? Also, how far can they travel if two are using a strand of creeper under the dorsal guiding feathers to carry a coconut?
Comment icon #3 Posted by pallidin 12 years ago
How I wish I had wings and could fly. Wait a minute, I drink. Nevermind.
Comment icon #4 Posted by Zoric 12 years ago
Perhaps the birds should be sponsored by Red Bull !
Comment icon #5 Posted by csspwns 12 years ago
tats why they are called swifts lol
Comment icon #6 Posted by Paracelse 12 years ago
I noticed they arrived in the area I live now few days ago along with some swallows (they have a white belly that how I make the difference). I tried to take pictures of them but no way they are really to fast for me.
Comment icon #7 Posted by jgorman628 12 years ago
Awesome! I love it when nature accomplishes the remarkable.
Comment icon #8 Posted by Emin 12 years ago
Interesting actually i was researching swifts some days ago. I'm not sure if those are the birds that i constantly see during dusk but they do have that arced wing appearance. Well it wouldn't surprise me if they flew that much because i've observed them fly and they sure fly like crazy


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