Weighing a godwit

Weighing a godwit

Scientist Phil Battley weighs a bar-tailed godwit. These birds lose about half their body weight during their gruelling 11,000 km non-stop flight from Alaska to New Zealand. Battley and other scientists are seeking to understand the physiological adaptations that make such long flights possible. They are investigating how rapidly a godwit can replace its lost condition, and what changes to its hormones and digestive organs are involved.