title: Very rapid long-distance sea crossing by a migratory bird.
abstract: Landbirds undertaking within-continent migrations have the possibility to stop en route, but most long-distance migrants must also undertake large non-stop sea crossings, the length of which can vary greatly. For shorebirds migrating from Iceland to West Africa, the shortest route would involve one of the longest continuous sea crossings while alternative, mostly overland, routes are available. Using geolocators to track the migration of Icelandic whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus), we show that they can complete a round-trip of 11,000 km making two non-stop sea crossings and flying at speeds of up to 24 m s(−1); one of the fastest recorded for shorebirds flying over the ocean. Although wind support could reduce flight energetic costs, whimbrels faced headwinds up to twice their ground speed, indicating that unfavourable and potentially fatal weather conditions are not uncommon. Such apparently high risk migrations might be more common than previously thought, with potential fitness gains outweighing the costs.
authors.affiliation: DBIO &CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.|South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Fjolheimar IS-800 Selfoss &IS-861 Gunnarsholt, Iceland.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Birdife International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK.|MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Méndez
authors.affiliation: Ecology Department, Icelandic Institute of Natural History, 210, Gardabaer, Iceland.
authors.forename: Borgný
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Katrínardóttir
authors.affiliation: South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Fjolheimar IS-800 Selfoss &IS-861 Gunnarsholt, Iceland.
authors.forename: Tómas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Gunnarsson
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western; D025041:Animal Migration / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D046091:Charadriiformes / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005426:Flight, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D005843:Geography; D007055:Iceland; D008297:Male; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012307:Risk Factors; D014887:Weather; D014919:Wind