The longest recorded nonstop bird flight in the cited record lasted 11 days and one hour and covered about 13,560 km (8,425 miles). The bird was a juvenile bar-tailed godwit that flew from Alaska to Tasmania in October 2022. This is a biological endurance record, not an aviation record for an aircraft, and it documents one tracked bird’s journey—not a distance every godwit flies on every migration.
What is the longest recorded nonstop bird flight?
Guinness World Records lists a juvenile bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica baueri) as completing a nonstop flight of approximately 13,560 km (8,425 miles) in 11 days and one hour. The bird arrived at Ansons Bay in northeastern Tasmania on 24 October 2022, after departing Alaska on 13 October. Guinness World Records’ account identifies the bird by its 5G satellite tag number, 234684.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Godwits | $17.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The record account says the bird flew without stopping to feed or rest. BirdLife Australia notes that tropical islands offered potential places to stop, but the bird continued toward Tasmania. BirdLife Australia’s report also describes the species’ annual migration between northern breeding grounds in Alaska or Siberia and nonbreeding areas in Australia and New Zealand.
How does this record compare with earlier godwit flights?
Earlier records and scientific studies describe different journeys or evidence, so their distances should not be treated as interchangeable with the 2022 tagged bird’s result.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →#1 Best Overall
| Flight or evidence | Distance and duration | Route | What the evidence describes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 record bird | About 13,560 km (8,425 miles) in 11 days and one hour | Alaska to Tasmania | A specific juvenile tracked with a satellite tag; Guinness World Records lists it as the longest nonstop bird migration in its record account. Source |
| E7, in 2007 | More than 11,500 km in 11 days | Alaska to New Zealand | An earlier tagged godwit flight, recounted by BirdLife Australia; the article notes later tagged godwits exceeded it. Source |
| 2005 route evidence | About 11,000 km; a flight duration is not stated in the cited abstract | Alaska to New Zealand | A study assembled resighting patterns, timing, flight simulations, fat loads and wind conditions as evidence supporting a direct route and nonstop capability. It is route-level scientific inference, not the 2022 individual record. Source |
A later study compared two bar-tailed godwit subspecies, describing nonstop Pacific flights by baueri as well as routes that include island stopovers. It also emphasizes staging areas and intertidal habitats in migration. That broader picture matters: a species’ migration can include different routes and stops, and the total distance traveled over a season is not the same as one nonstop flight. Read the 2012 study record at USGS.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can a godwit keep flying for so long?
Before migration, bar-tailed godwits feed in Alaska and build energy reserves. Guinness World Records says males may double in size during this feeding period. Its record page also describes internal organs shrinking to make room for energy-rich fat, while the chest muscles and heart increase during flight. These are background explanations on the record page, not measurements reported for tag 234684 specifically. Guinness World Records’ account.
The record establishes a remarkable nonstop journey, but the cited sources do not explain how this individual slept during flight. It is therefore not possible to infer from them that the bird stayed fully awake or used a particular sleep pattern.
Quick Recap
What the record does—and does not—tell us
- It records one bird’s journey. The 2022 distance and duration belong to an individually tracked juvenile godwit.
- It does not define every godwit migration. Research describes routes with different destinations and, in some cases, stopovers.
- It is different from a route estimate. Studies supporting a broad Alaska-to-New Zealand route use multiple lines of evidence, rather than documenting the same tagged flight.
- Records can change. Guinness World Records cautions that records may change and that updates are not necessarily published online immediately, so its current listing can differ from the record at the time of a reader’s visit.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute
