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
What about Churchill’s Parrot? ;’)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.