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Britain's Oldest Bird Still Going Strong
Ananova ^ | 4-18-2002

Posted on 04/18/2002 12:26:16 PM PDT by blam

Britain's oldest bird is still going strong

Britain's oldest wild bird has reached the age of 50 and is thought to have flown five million miles.

Records from the national bird ringing scheme show the Manx shearwater has been flying between the British Isles and South America for half a century.

The seabird was discovered in a colony on the island of Bardsey which lies off the Lleyn peninsula in north Wales.

The bird has been ringed four times, in 1957, 1961, 1977 and earlier this month. It was thought to be around five years old when ringed for the first time.

Wild birds face threats from pollution, cars and rats while seabirds like the shearwater also have to battle through Atlantic storms.

Chris Mead, a leading ornithologist, told The Independent: "I don't know which impresses me more, its extraordinary longevity or the fantastic distance it has travelled."

Story filed: 08:30 Thursday 18th April 2002


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: bird; britains; oldest
Amazing!
1 posted on 04/18/2002 12:26:16 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam
WOW!
2 posted on 04/18/2002 10:52:30 PM PDT by JudyB1938
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To: blam

What about Churchill’s Parrot? ;’)


3 posted on 06/18/2009 6:37:53 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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