Two months, that’s how long it took Hera, a European Roller bird to fly more than 10 000km from South Africa to Uzbekistan.
BirdLife South Africa tagged Hera in March. The bird was one of two individuals tagged with tiny solar-powered satellite trackers. The aim is to understand their migratory routes, map the full migration cycle, identify critical habitats and potential threats along their flyways, Sheree Bega reports.
The researchers took us through her journey:
“She travelled along the east coast of Africa. From Limpopo, she went into Mozambique, and then stuck to the coast, until she got to Somalia where she spent about a month, slowly making her way to the Horn of Africa. And then when she got there, she crossed the Arabian Sea and crossed the ocean again to the coast of Pakistan, travelled to Afghanistan, was there for about a week, and then travelled to Uzbekistan.”
Read more about the fascinating tale of migration, the threats Hera faces on this journey and why this type of research is important in the story below.
Also this week, read more about why the plastic negotiations that take place in Busan, Korea later this year are crucial.
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Ozayr Patel | Climate & Environment Editor | @Ozayr8
