Unbelievable! The Blackpoll Warbler Can Fly 1,700 Miles without Stopping

According to a team of researchers, the blackpoll warbler, a small and fragile songbird that spends its summers in the forests of North America, can fly for 1,700 miles without resting once.

The bird was tracked while it made its usual trip from the northeastern parts of United States and the eastern parts of Canada all the way to the Caribbean.

The blackpoll warbler travels so many miles because it’s part of the winter migration to the warm South America.
The researchers started the study in 2013 and attached tracking devices on the birds to see how long they can travel without making a stop.

The scientists suspected that the tiny songbird can fly to the Caribbean over the ocean, but this is the first time they documented it.
The researchers detailed their findings in a study published in the journal Biology Letters.

Chris Rimmer, a researcher at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and one of the authors of the new study, explained that the scientists were amazed to discover that the tiny bird, which weighs less than an ounce, can go on such a dangerous and long trip over the ocean.
The warblers usually prey on insects and live in North America. According to the experts, the warbler population has declined over the years and no one really knows why this is happening.

Rimmer said that it’s time for researchers to try and find out what makes this birds’ population decline.
Knowing information about the migration process of the blackpoll warbler can help researchers find out about the implications of climate change and the effects it has on the songbirds.

Andrew Farnsworth, a researcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, said that it’s very important to find out what would happen if the birds will not be able to get enough food to make such a long flight. The fragmentation of their habitat in New England and Canada could be the main factor that leads to the decline of these songbirds.

There are many bird species that fly long distances over the waters, but the warbler is a little bit different because it’s a bird that lives in forests.

Most of the birds that migrate to South America to spend their winters fly through Central America and Mexico.
Image Source: birdnote

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Alan O’Leary

Alan is a happily-married, New York-based writer with over 5 years of experience in journalism. He mainly focuses on subjects such as international politics, arts culture, social media and national news.