Aussie bird sets record with nonstop 38-hour flight to Papua New Guinea

Australian scientists have, for the first time, tracked the epic journey of a young plumed egret that flew nonstop from Australia to Papua New Guinea in about 38 hours.

Using GPS transmitters, researchers monitored 18 juvenile egrets, 10 great egrets and eight plumed egrets, as they left their nesting grounds in the Macquarie Marshes of the Murray-Darling Basin in Australia's New South Wales, a key breeding site for over 75 waterbird species, according to a study published on Monday.

The research, conducted by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia's national science agency, revealed that while great egrets dispersed in multiple directions, plumed egrets consistently headed north, with one remarkable individual covering nearly 800 km across open sea without a break.

This marks the first GPS-documented record of an egret, or any large waterbird nesting in colonies, making a direct flight between Australia and Papua New Guinea, said the study published in Pacific Conservation Biology, a journal dedicated to conservation and wildlife management in the Pacific region.

Researchers said these findings are vital for conservation, as understanding the timing, routes, and stopover sites of waterbirds can inform habitat management and resource allocation.

The study also found that after dispersal, both species stayed close to their roosts, typically traveling just 1-2 km to forage.

The data suggest that habitat management in the Murray-Darling Basin may be especially beneficial for juvenile great egrets, who tend to remain in the region during their first year, while plumed egrets are more likely to embark on long-distance journeys.