'Jet fighter' godwit breaks world record for non-stop bird flight

Bar-tailed godwit flies more than 12,000km from Alaska to New Zealand in 11 days

A bird said to have the aerodynamic build of a jet fighter" has been tracked flying more than 12,000km (7,500 miles) from Alaska to New Zealand, setting a new world record for avian non-stop flight.

The bar-tailed godwit set off from south-west Alaska on 16 September and arrived in a bay near Auckland 11 days later, having flown at speeds of up to 55mph.