GUTS DONT FLY - SMALL DIGESTIVE ORGANS IN OBESE BAR-TAILED GODWITS

We documented fat loads and abdominal organ sizes of Bar-tailed Godwit s (Limosa lapponica baueri) that died after colliding against a radar dome on the Alaska Peninsula, most likely just after takeoff on a tran s-Pacific flight of 11,000 km, and of birds of the same subspecies jus t before northward departure from New Zealand. We compared these data with data on body composition of godwits of the smaller lapponica subs pecies obtained during a northward stopover in The Netherlands. As a c onsequence of high amounts of subcutaneous and intraperitoneal fat, an d very small fat-free mass, Bar-tailed Godwits from Alaska had relativ e fat loads that are among the highest ever recorded in birds (ca, 55% of fresh body mass). Compared with northbound godwits from New Zealan d, the Alaskan birds had very small gizzards, livers, kidneys, and gut s. This suggests that upon departure, long-distance migrants dispense with parts of their ''metabolic machinery'' that are not directly nece ssary during flight. and rebuild these organs upon arrival at the migr atory destination.