Many people may be surprised to learn that certain bird species are capable of staying airborne for multiple years at a time. While no bird can permanently remain aloft, some seabirds in particular have evolved to spend the vast majority of their lives soaring over the ocean. By sleeping on the wing and landing only to breed and raise chicks, these incredible avians can stay flying for up to 5 consecutive years before touching down on land or water again. But which specific bird holds the record for the longest continuous flight time? Let’s explore some contenders for the crown.
Frigatebirds
One family of birds renowned for their exceptional aerial endurance are the frigatebirds. These large seabirds feature the largest wing-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, allowing them to utilize updrafts and thermals to soar for extreme distances while expending minimal energy. Frigatebirds are found in tropical and subtropical regions across the world’s oceans. Of the five frigatebird species, the Magnificent Frigatebird and Great Frigatebird are most likely to stay on the wing for multiple years at a time.
Records show Magnificent Frigatebirds remaining aloft for periods up to 10 months. However, due to their expansive range over remote open oceans, accurately tracking them across multiple years is difficult. It’s likely that at least some Magnificent Frigatebirds can remain airborne without landing for 5 continuous years. Yet, unequivocal evidence confirming this remains elusive.
Albatrosses
Another seabird group renowned for their soaring flight are the albatrosses. The largest of the seabirds, albatrosses utilize a flight technique called dynamic soaring to travel vast ocean distances while rarely flapping their wings. The wanderer or common albatross holds the known record for the longest recorded flight by a bird. One female wanderer albatross was tracked for over 5 years, during which she flew more than 500,000 miles without touching land! This distances is equivalent to circumnavigating the planet over 20 times.
Researchers tracked the female albatross using a GPS device as she ranged far across the open Southern Ocean from Chile to Australia and beyond. Throughout her multi-year journey, she landed just twice to breed and raise chicks before taking off again. All-in-all, this single albatross flight lasted approximately 5.5 continuous years, setting a new known record for the longest birds can remain airborne.
How Do They Do It?
The notion that a bird can stay aloft for multiple years without landing surely seems incredible. So how exactly do frigatebirds, albatrosses and other well-adapted seabirds achieve these marathon flights?
Energy efficient: Both frigatebirds and albatrosses have evolved extremely energy efficient flight. Their long, narrow wings maximize lift while minimizing drag and their large wing surface area provides additional soaring power. Rather than actively flapping, they utilize wind and air currents to glide vast distances.
Sleep while flying: These seabirds have the remarkable ability to sleep while flying! By resting one brain hemisphere at a time, they can maintain just enough consciousness to keep soaring through the night.
Water resistance: Their feathers are specially adapted to minimize water-logging and provide insulation in cold climates. This allows prolonged contact with marine environments.
Fishing from flight: Species like frigatebirds can snatch fish from the ocean surface while flying, giving them an aerial food source.
Nesting colonies: By timing flights to utilize prevailing winds, they can periodically stop to rest and breed at preferred remote islands and colonies when necessary.
Challenges of Years on the Wing
Despite their impressive adaptations, remaining airborne for years does pose challenges for frigatebirds, albatrosses and other seabirds. These include:
Exhaustion: Constant flight for multiple years is physically draining. Periodic rests at breeding colonies provide much needed rejuvenation.
Weather: Battling elements like storms, wind changes and atmospheric disturbances requires energy and risk. Favorable tailwinds greatly aid their journey.
Navigation: These birds fly thousands of miles over featureless oceans. Navigating to sparse, remote islands for rest requires incredible innate directional senses.
Predation: Floating at sea level exposes sitting ducks to predators. Vigilance is required even during mid-flight rests.
Human activity: Expanding fisheries interfere with feeding and longlining causes accidental deaths. Pollution also degrades breeding havens.
While exceptional in their aerial endurance, these birds have evolved over eons to meet the demands of their far-flying lifestyles over the open ocean. Their specialized adaptations allow them to conquer the challenges posed by years spent on the wing. For the albatrosses and frigatebirds, flight is life.
Other Notable Mention Birds
While albatrosses and frigatebirds are the most cited for multi-year continuous flight, other seabirds also deserve mention for their aerial endurance:
Swifts
Some swifts like the Common Swift can remain airborne for nearly 10 months, feeding and sleeping while aloft. However, they cannot dynamically soar over oceans, limiting their range.
Shearwaters
Shearwaters, like Manx Shearwaters and Sooty Shearwaters, frequently remain flying over the oceans for multiple years at a time, likely rivaling albatrosses in flight duration. However their range makes estimating total flight time difficult.
Petrels
Many petrel species, including Storm Petrels and Blue Petrels will fly vast ocean distances without landing for extended periods, though likely less than a year.
Terns
Several tern species follow lengthy migration routes, sometimes flying for thousands of miles over oceans without stopping. However, most only remain airborne continuously for several weeks or months at a time.
Conclusion
In summary, the wandering albatross appears to hold the known record for the longest continuous flight time of any bird. One female wanderer albatross was tracked soaring over the southern seas for an amazing 5.5 years straight! Other good candidates capable of multi-year endless flights include frigatebirds like the Magnificent Frigatebird. While numerous seabird species possess extraordinary aerial endurance compared to landbirds, the combination of proficient dynamic soaring and extreme remote ranges gives the albatross the title for longest confirmed bird flight thus far discovered. If one lesson is clear however, it’s that we’ve merely skimmed the surface when it comes to understanding the impressive capacities of birds evolved for life on the wing.