In January of 2023, researchers put GPS tags on eight Arctic-breeding gray plovers (Pluvialis squatarola). Their hope was to monitor the breeding migration of the birds to learn more about them. Specifically, they were hoping to figure out why this species flew at such high altitudes during their migration.

While monitoring the birds, however, something tragic happened. One of the birds was killed. While the data is still being analyzed, it appears that the death took place at 3000 meters (9800 feet) above sea level, making it the highest-known bird attack ever recorded.

Researcher Miciel Boom was the lead author of a paper about the event that was published in Ecology. He told the New York Times:

“At 21:58 local summer time on May 27 [2023] (25 min after sunset), one of the tagged birds suddenly stopped its migratory flight. The first thing we noticed was a sudden change in direction.”

The study reports that the bird’s GPS tag made a dramatic drop in altitude. The next signal received was from about 8 kilometers (4.97 miles) away. When they investigated, they found the tag on the ground near the bird’s remains.

While it is not known exactly what happened to the bird, the remains were found near the nest of a Peregrine falcon, which is a predatory bird known to attack other birds in the air. The falcon can travel at speeds up to 320 kilometers (200 miles) per hour while in a dive, making it a very effective hunter.

The most likely explanation is that the victim attempted to fly up high to avoid the falcon, but was eventually tracked down and attacked at record-breaking altitudes.

While sad for the plover, this event does provide valuable information to the researchers.

Imagine being attacked 320 kilometers in the air.

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