Godwits long journey home to Alaska. 11,000 km

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Godwits journey home
The bar-tailed godwits farewelled
Last updated 05:00 10/03/2012

DAVID HALLETT/Fairfax NZ


LAST LOOK: Christchurch City Council ranger Andrew Crossland shows Isabel Clark the godwits at Southshore Spit before they make their long flight back to their breeding grounds in Alaska via the Yellow Sea.

 DAVID HALLETT/Fairfax NZ HOMEWARD BOUND: The godwits return to their breeding grounds in Alaska.
Christchurch residents have farewelled their feathered friends for another year.

Crowds gathered at the Southshore Spit Reserve yesterday to farewell the bar-tailed godwits as they returned to their breeding grounds in Alaska.

Christchurch City Council events co-ordinator Sheena Baines said about 800 people had attended the farewell, organised by Environment Canterbury and the Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust.

Council ornithologist Andrew Crossland spoke to the gathered crowd about the birds' "extraordinary" migration pattern, while park rangers had binoculars on hand for people to watch the godwits as they began their long journey.

The birds arrive in New Zealand each September, having travelled more than 11,000 kilometres. This is the longest known non-stop flight for any bird and they do so to escape the northern hemisphere winter.

They rest during the New Zealand summer and double their bodyweight before returning to their Alaskan home. Their return trip takes several weeks, including stops at China's Yellow Sea, the Korean Peninsula and Japan.



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When the Godwits arrived in Christchurch each year the Cathedral bells used to ring for them.