Bird flies 8,435 miles non-stop from Alaska to Australia

Q: A young bar-tailed godwit appears to have set a non-stop distance record for migratory birds by flying at least 8,435 miles from the western coast of Alaska to the island of Tasmania off the southern tip of Australia. Where is Alaska?

Circle the area on this map


Q: The bird was tagged with a tracking GPS chip that allowed scientists to follow it on its record-breaking 11-day journey. The five-month-old bird traveled about how far around the globe?

A. Two-thirds of the way

B. Half the way

C. A third of the way

D. A quarter of the way

Q: The bird started out on a southwestern course toward Japan then turned over what chain of Alaskan islands in the North Pacific Ocean?

A. Aleutian

B. Chukchi

C. Inupiaq

D. Yupik

Q: The flight crossed the largest of the world’s five oceans. The Pacific is larger than ...

A. Africa

B. Eurasia

C. The Americas

D. All land areas

Q: Experts say the bird probably lost about half of its weight by the time it landed in Tasmania, Australia’s southernmost state. The history of Tasmania inspired which of these science fiction tales from the 19th century?

A. Island of Doctor Moreau

B. Mysterious Island

C. Propeller Island

D. War of the Worlds


Answers for this quiz: Click here