This archive report was first published on 8 May 2020.
Published on May 8, 2020, a remarkable story of a bird's incredible journey has captured the hearts of many. A bird, nicknamed Onon, has flown an astonishing 8,000 kilometres in just five days from Kenya to China.
Using a global location sensor (GLS), the bird's journey was tracked, revealing an incredible feat of endurance. Onon departed from Kenya on April 29, crossing the Arabian Sea, the India subcontinent, the Himalayas, and finally landed in China on May 4.
According to Birding Beijing, a Chinese birding website, Onon's journey has been documented on Twitter. The bird's GLS data shows that it is now on its way to Russia via Mongolia, leaving many in awe of its spirit of adventure.
"Onon has made it! He has completed his crossing of the Arabian Sea to India and, for good measure, flown another 600km inland to Madhya Pradesh! That's 5,000km since the last signal from Kenya on 29 April," the tweet reads.
Migratory birds like Onon are fitted with small tracking devices called geolocators. When the bird is recaptured, the data is downloaded and used to reconstruct the bird's migratory path.
Kenya's rich avifauna diversity is a testament to its status as one of the best birding destinations in the world. With over 1,100 bird species recorded, the country offers a unique opportunity for bird enthusiasts to spot a wide variety of species.
