This is Bird Note.

Over 12,000 miles across at its widest point, you might think the Pacific Ocean is a barrier that even high-flying birds can't cross.

Think again.

Some species make the trip every year as part of their life cycle.

Ancient Polynesians knew long ago that birds crossed the world's largest ocean, and they

used the movements of birds across the Pacific to help navigate during long sea voyages.

Today, GPS tracking technology is revealing the incredible details of birds' migrations over the water.

After breeding in Alaska, shorebirds called Pacific Golden Plovers fly all the way to the South Pacific,

thousands of miles and several days flight away.

During the spring migration, Bartale Godwitz break up their trip from New Zealand to Alaska

with a stop in the yellow sea off the coast of East Asia.

But for their winter migration, they fly from North America to New Zealand without stopping.

The longest recorded Godwit journey is over 8,000 miles of uninterrupted flight.

While there's a lot we know about bird migration,

exactly how these birds' tiny bodies can sustain a week of flight without stopping

is still a mystery.

For Bird Note, I'm Ariana Rimmel.