Page 130 - (DK) I Can’t Believe It! 2

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How far can

a bird fly?

North
The Airbus 320 is a
Korea short-to-medium-range
South airliner. Flying from Alaska, it
would run out of fuel long
Bar-tailed godwits have China Korea Japan before the godwit, and would
been tracked flying 7,258 miles have to land at Wake Island
in the Pacific.
(11,680 km) nonstop from
Alaska to New Zealand on

their yearly migration.
Philippines

FAST FACTS

Earth Moon Indonesia Papua New The Boeing 777-300 is
Arctic terns migrate from the Arctic to the Antarctic Guinea a long-range airliner, but with
368 passengers on board, it
and back every year. Single birds have been tracked flying would not reach New Zealand.
44,000 miles (70,900 km) in this time. In their 30-year It would have to land at
lifetime, they can cover 1.3 million miles (2.1 million km), Norfolk Island, between New
or more than two round trips to the Moon. Zealand and Australia.

Glider 1,870 miles (3,009 km)
Australia
Airliner (Boeing 777 specially adapted for
record attempt) 13,423 miles (21,602 km)
Every year in
March, Pacific
Breitling Orbiter balloon 25,361 miles (40,814 km) bar-tailed
godwits fly north
from New Zealand.
Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer 25,766 miles (41,467 km)
They arrive in Alaska to
An airliner can fly farther than any bird if it is nest in May, after refueling
specially adapted. Above are four human nonstop in China. Scientists know the
flight records involving different kinds of aircraft. return journey to New Zealand
can be direct and nonstop.

US_128_129_309600_ICBT_Far_Bird_fly.indd 128 19/12/17 2:36 pm