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October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the course of 11 days, B6, a you
by DoreenMichele 3y ago
October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its hatching ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania, covering 8,425 miles without taking a single break...
Many factors contributed to this astonishing feat of athleticism—muscle power, a high metabolic rate and a physiological tolerance for elevated cortisol levels, among other things.
Additional fun fact the article doesn't mention:
Birds sleep with only half their brain at a time when making these long distance flights. That's why they don't doze off and fall out of the sky.
- iamwil 3y agoHow did scientists figure this out? Did they attach a flying bird to an MRI machine?
- npteljes 3y agoEEG for one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unihemispheric_slow-wave_sleep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unihemispheric_slow-wave_sleep
- Intralexical 3y agoDolphins too. Half of their brain keeps them swimming while the other half sleeps. Other fun fact: Humans making long car drives also do what's called "microsleeping". Your eyes remain open and your hands stay on the wheel, but your brain goes unconscious for a couple seconds at a time. Usually, you don't even notice…