In 2019, a bold male seabird threw caution to the wind, flying above Typhoon Faxai as the storm pummeled southeastern Japan. It was the start of an 11-hour, 1,146-km (712-mile) crazy journey, that took the bird 15,000 feet higher than normal, at three times its usual speed, on a ride that his species are quite good at avoiding. Happily, the bird survived and eventually returned to his feathered friends with quite the story to tell.
Thanks to GPS bio-loggers that had been attached to 14 adult streaked shearwater (Calonectris leucomelas) seabirds in August that year by Tohoku University biologist Kozue Shiomi to track nesting behaviors, scientists were lucky enough to have a record of this nuts nature-defying act, spotting a huge flight pattern anomaly that coincided with the storm.
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While it didn’t affect the other birds, one male managed to get caught up in the atmospheric drama, though researchers can’t say if he had a daredevil streak or was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But one thing is for certain: the 585-g (1.3-lb) bird didn’t have much choice but to ‘go with the flow.’
Continue here: New Atlas
