Imagine flying 60 to 80 hours nonstop and getting 720,000 miles to the gallon. Not for some natural-born aviators. It loses half its body weight on its trip south.
Some shorebirds make even longer journeys.
The four-ounce Arctic tern twice a year flies 12,000 miles between the Arctic and the Antarctic. The Defense Department is saluting these feathered fliers May 6 and 7 at the International Migratory Bird Day Festival at the National Zoo here. The festival, co- sponsored by DoD and the Smithsonian National Zoological Park Migratory Bird Center, will highlight Partners in Flight, an international coalition whose mission is to conserve migratory birds. From a military perspective, these birds would undoubtedly receive high fitness and readiness ratings. Without refueling, maintenance or spare parts, some of these tiny creatures get better fuel mileage and can outdistance today's sophisticated military aircraft.