This is Bird Note.

From our land-based perspective, birds appear to fly fairly low,

and for much of the year, birds stay below 500 feet where food and shelter awake them.

Migration season is a different story.

For birds that travel long distances between their breeding and wintering territories,

there's good reason to gain altitude. Many migratory species fly at 2,000 to 5,000 feet,

where they can use the prevailing winds to assist them on their way. On a long haul flight,

a bird may start their journey at 5,000 feet and then slowly climb to 20,000 feet.

One record for high altitude flight was a flock of swans over Northern Ireland,

visually identified by a pilot cruising at 29,000 feet.

But the all-time record for highest flying bird goes to a vulture with a 10-foot wingspan called a Ruppel's Griffin.

In 1973, one was observed soaring at 37,000 feet.

That's more than a mile and a half higher than the summit of Mount Everest.

Unfortunately, we only know about this remarkable achievement because the bird was struck by a passing jet.

So it's hard to say if this was a one-time feat or a routine excursion.

We may not have the full picture of what birds are doing way up there above the clouds,

but one thing's for sure. A 30,000-foot view is a bird's-eye view too.

For Bert Note, I'm Jazzy Johnson.