A team of scientists, led by Henri Weimerskirch from France’s National Center for Scientific and Biological Research, has uncovered an extraordinary finding about the frigate bird.
The study, published in the journal Science , revealed that these birds are capable of flying continuously in the air for 56 days without needing to rest.
By attaching GPS tracking devices to the birds between 2011 and 2015, the team found that the frigatebirds could fly for up to 56 days at a time, traveling hundreds of miles each day and reaching altitudes of 2.5 miles.
The bird-mounted tracker weighs only about 10 grams and is solar-powered, providing heart rate monitoring, GPS, and accelerometer measurements without affecting the bird’s natural activity.
It has been discovered that one hemisphere of a bird’s brain rarely rests. We know this in dolphins, they can swim while looking for danger.
Data recording equipment shows that birds often control the hemisphere of the brain connected to the eyes. This means that while they sleep, they can still see their surroundings.
Surprisingly, the data recording device also showed that two hemispheres of the brain were slowly falling asleep at the same time and that the bird was still able to fly. Birds can even sleep in the air, make strange sounds and relax their muscles like mammals.
In addition to their remarkable flight ability, frigatebirds are also known as great hunters because no fish can escape their clutches once they have identified their target.
Frigatebirds also have the habit of stealing prey directly from the mouths of other birds, which is why they are also called “kidnappers”.
The frigate stands out for its large red kite. With their talent for flight, frigates can “travel” throughout the Indian Ocean.
