For many years the flying records have been held by the likes of Peregrine Falcon for the fastest flight and Albatrosses and Whimbrels for amazing long distance efforts. With modern electronics making it possible to track the flight of some of the tiniest birds, incredible new data is emerging and we are only beginning to truly understand how amazing our feathered friends truly are.

After reasearchers at Lund Univeristy in Sweden recovered tracking devices from birds in a study they were conducting, the data they unearthed was astounding.

These amazing swifts migrate all the way from Europe to Southern Africa and return back to Europe for the summer. Some of the swifts in their program had not stopped flying once for the entire journey down to Southern Africa and back. Truly astounding considering you would have to eat and sleep while flying for almost an entire year!!!