Kūaka
by Bronwen Wall
Every September, the kūaka, or bar-tailed godwit, flies more than 11 600 kilometres from Alaska to New Zealand, and each March to June it flies back again. This engaging article explores its remarkable migration – its departure and arrival periods, how fast it flies, where and on what it feeds in New Zealand, and how it manages to fly for long distances without eating. The article also offers a traditional Māori perspective on kūaka.
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