Mastodawn

David Mar 15, 2023

Incredible. A female falcon was equipped with a satellite tracking system in South Africa before migrating to Finland. Image shows tracker data. In just 42 days she flew over 10.000km at an incredible average of 230 km per day and almost in a straight line.

📷via reddit@ChemBioJ

KingOfHearts Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 Astounding

KarmaWaters Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 that's amazing, at the risk of being a bit geeky do you know what sort of falcon it was?

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 14, 2023

@KarmaWaters no it didn’t say, I’ve googled it and none say which type it was but I did find a story where it was a European honey buzzard not a falcon https://www.lizatlancaster.co.za/blog/from-reitz-south-africa-to-vesilahti-finland-230-km-a-day-not-bad-for-a-3-4-kg-bird

Not the 10,000 hours but 10,000 km .... and all in 42 days | Liz at Lancaster Guest House Blog

Researching the migration of European Honey Buzzards Back in 2016 we had a guest stay from Novia University of Applied Sciences in Ekenäs, Finland. On his first morning at breakfast overlooking the birdfeeders in the garden, I saw his binoculars on his table and launched into an enthusiastic conversation (rather one-sided) about our local garden […]

Liz at Lancaster Guest House Blog

KarmaWaters Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 snap! I think I've just replied withe same article

KarmaWaters Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 I've found it a European Honey Buzzard https://www.iol.co.za/news/environment/follow-this-birds-great-migration-from-the-free-state-to-finland-in-42-days-4b37a3ad-30e6-4f1e-87cc-577b6826f006

Follow this bird's great migration: From the Free State to Finland in 42 days

Researchers fitted a GPS tracking device onto a European honey buzzard and were quite surprised to find just how far the bird flew over its seasonal migrations.

IOL | News that Connects South Africans

Timo Grün Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53
Fascinating. The route straight across Turkey and then along the Black Sea coast is interesting. I would have expected to see her fly along the Aegean coast of Turkey instead.

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 14, 2023

@khoji seems like she feels it’s better to travel over land as much as she could. I guess she knows best, she’s made the trip countless times I imagine, it would be interesting if they tracked her again to see if she takes the exact same route.

Timo Grün Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 Yes, I was thinking that too. The land she flies across probably also has known hunting, resting and watering places.

Kavana Ramaswamy Mar 14, 2023

@khoji
Also seems to avoid the Sahara desert, and go near the coastline instead when she hits the desert 😊
@weaniejeanie53

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 14, 2023

@khoji @kavana yes she’s a smart bird! I wonder what altitude she flies at? These birds are so good at Catching thermals.

Simon Lucy Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 @khoji

Keep any body of water on the left.

Pusher Of Pixels (old account)Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 @khoji and really amazing tech to fit something on a bird...that doesn't affect it significantly on such a monumental journey.

Even a high single digit increase in energy expense to the bird could be catastrophic on this long a journey

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 14, 2023

@pixelpusher220 @khoji yes that’s true, it seems it was a honey buzzard which I imagine are larger stronger birds than a falcon which are pretty small as birds of prey go. They’ve fitted a few of these birds in Finland.

Dorette Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53

Fabian ¯\_(ツ)_/¯Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 Meanwhile some people cannot even find POIs in their hometown without a map/GPS

Johan Empa Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53
Not impressed, the bird is slow. A human does the same trip in 15 hours 😂 It's just one change of flights in Amsterdam.

JBStrait Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 that is so cool. Thanks for sharing it.

Tangledupinblue Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 birds are really amazing creatures. Most people just don't want to learn.

throAU Mar 16, 2023

@Jay63 @weaniejeanie53 apparently they can sense magnetic field and see infra red(or UV I forget, maybe depends on the bird). Makes you think just how tiny a part of the electromagnetic spectrum humans can sense.

Roadskater, Ph.D.Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 Total mileage may differ, but American ospreys! Woot!

maddie (MOVED!)

@weaniejeanie53 she was using fly hacks

Nick 'The Viking'Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53

Onboard GPS working well, but no maps provided in the firmware.

Mikko Heikkinen Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 More of the same stuff, animated: https://satelliitti.laji.fi/

The "falcon" on the map seems to be Honey Buzzard Päivi, who has made 6 round-trips between Finland & South Africa: https://satelliitti.laji.fi/?lang=en&id=JX.697

#birds #migration

Satelliittilinnut | Laji.fi

Satelliittilähettimillä saadaan selville yksityiskohtaista tietoa lintujen muuttomatkoista, talvehtimis- ja saalistusalueista sekä reviirien laajuudesta.

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 14, 2023

@mikkohei13 that’s really interesting as she doesn’t take the same route each time but still without much deviation from the most direct route.

Roger Moore Mar 14, 2023

@mikkohei13 @weaniejeanie53
It's interesting because it looks like she flies a very different route from north to south than south to north. I wonder if this is to take advantage of wind patterns or different feeding at different times of year.

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 14, 2023

@mikkohei13 @VATVSLPR yes could well be that, also I imagine the weather conditions would be different on her outward and inward journeys.

Roger Moore Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 @mikkohei13
There might also be some differences because of breeding. European honey buzzards breed in Europe, which means she's probably escorting young on her journey south. If she's still escorting them on the trip back north, they're a lot older and more mature. That might factor into choice of migratory route, too.

NeutralFlake1125 Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 Wow!! That’s amazing!!

Stanley Grill, Composer Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 And with complete disregard of acknowledged borders! 😊

Attila Kinali Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 Ok... enough about why the chicken crossed the road. Why did the falcon fly to the other side of the planet?

Honestly, I'd like to know.

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 15, 2023

@attilakinali like many birds they breed in Europe but when winter comes there’s not enough food so they fly south to warmer climes where food is more plentiful. This is a fascinating step by step account of another honey buzzard’s journey from the UK to Africa. https://www.birdguides.com/news/intrepid-honey-buzzard-completes-spectacular-journey-to-africa/

Intrepid honey buzzard completes spectacular journey to Africa

One of the Roy Dennis Foundation's satellite-tagged Scottish youngsters made two risky sea crossings during its first southbound migration.

BirdGuides

Attila Kinali Mar 15, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 Yes, I'm aware of many European birds migrating to Africa in Winter. But I thought most of them would stay in northern Africa and at most go to equatorial Africa. I wasn't aware the some migrated as far as south Africa.

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 15, 2023

@attilakinali yes it’s an awfully long way to fly when they could just go to central Africa but they must know what they’re doing, they wouldn’t fly that extra distance if they didn’t need to, it must be because of food sources I imagine.

Attila Kinali Mar 15, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 Well, yes. Migration is an innate behaviour for birds. So there must be an evolutionary advantage for it. Or must have been at some point and it is still good enough today.

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 15, 2023

@attilakinali yes despite the dangers they face on such a journey they must know it’s worth it. I wish I could migrate for the winter too tbh!

Logan Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 oh to have wings

stevenray Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 @SecularJeffrey I wonder why she flew northeast when she reached the Sudanese border. Regardless, absolutely incredible.

stevenray Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 @SecularJeffrey also, she avoided flying over water for the entirety of her trip, *except* at the very end. She could have gone around by way of St. Petersburg, but did not. Curious.

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 14, 2023

@SecularJeffrey @stevenray my guess is maybe she avoids flying over water as if she gets tired there’s nowhere for her to land or feed and drink? Perhaps she knows that body of water well and that it’s not too far for her to get to land? Just my thoughts.

stevenray Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 @SecularJeffrey I guess so! Else, she didn’t want to be late for the falcon conference.

Alexander Ruthol Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53
The real miracle is that it wasn't shot in Egypt, Syria, or Turkey.

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 15, 2023

@Je5usaurus_rex it looks like things have improved in some areas

Alexander Ruthol Mar 15, 2023

@weaniejeanie53
I'm happy to hear it.

NicholasR Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53
Wow! #Falcons are amazing birds!

Sylvhem Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 She basically only deviated of her trajectory to not have to cross the Sahara. It’s amazing.

RECIT4LEARN Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 I’m curious to know what’s next for that falcon. Was the trip a one time occurance? Or, does that type of travel occur throughout her life?

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 14, 2023

@recit4learn like many bird species they migrate from north to south and vice versa every year mainly for food sources or breeding grounds. It’s quite amazing.

RECIT4LEARN Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53 that IS amazing. I’m in Canada and I know our birds migrate South in winter and return for our summer. I didn’t realize some (like the falcon) would cross the equator and continue to continental extremities. Thanks for posting the map. It’s fun to see the magic of nature :)

LadyFluffyOrca Mar 14, 2023

@recit4learn oh I see, yes I’m in the UK and we’re very important for many migratory birds and some of the birds we think of as native are migratory like cuckoos who migrate here in spring from central Africa and return there in summer. Yes nature amazes us every day!

Grant Mar 14, 2023

@weaniejeanie53

Hmmm...

Not really all that impressive. 😊

How about 13,500 Km in 11 days across oceans and 24hr per day ? A little Bar-Tailed Godwit.

#Birds #Science #Migration

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-27/bar-tailed-godwit-breaking-world-record-longest-nonstop-flight/101583748

Bar-tailed godwit flies 13,500km from Alaska to Tasmania, breaking world record for non-stop bird flight

A young bird has flown for 11 days straight after taking an unexpected turn, setting a new world record for the longest non-stop migratory flight.

ABC News