In a great show of endurance, a female bar-tailed godwit managed to fly from Alaska to New Zealand within nine days without stopping for nourishment or rest, travelling a total of 7,145. According to scientists, the godwit's flight is the longest bird migration ever measured, and the satellite tags attached to the bird prove the feat.

Phil Battley, a scientist from New Zealand's Massey University expressed his surprise upon the discovery. "This shows how incredible and extreme birds can be," he said. "The prospect of a bird flying all the way across the Pacific was so much further than what we thought possible, it seemed ludicrous."

The long-haul flight was discovered during a documentation of godwit migration carried out by the US Geological Survey and PRBO Conservation Science from California. About 16 godwits were equipped with satellite transmitters, enabling scientists to track down their movements.

The research yielded the information that about 70,000 godwit birds take slight from Alaskan breeding grounds to New Zealand every September, then taking a return trip on March the next year. That's a great feat, considering that the godwits do not have the luxury to enjoy relaxing flights like those offered by major airlines.