Highest Flying Bird Soars over the Himalaya    [24-06-2011] The Himalayan mountain range is home to the tallest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest. The mountain range is a formidable challenge for all those who dare to scale its walls. Yet, hundreds of climbers risk life and limb every year, trying to reach the summit. It may come as a surprise to discover that a bird manages to fly up and over the Himalaya - every year without fail - in just eight hours. The bar-headed Asian goose is the highest flying bird in the world. It is charted to fly to a peak height of 21,120 feet (or 6,437 meters); that is almost as high as Mount Everest, which is 29,035 feet (8,850 meters)! The geese fly over the Himalaya for their annual spring migration to Mongolia. The entire migration takes about two months and the birds occasionally stop for rest, except when they are going over the mountains. They actually cross the Himalaya in one, single and uninterrupted trip that takes an average of eight hours to complete. What is even more amazing is that the geese manage to ascend the highest peaks in the world using their own muscular power, with very little help from tail winds or updrafts. Instead, they flap their wings vigorously and scarcely rely on gliding, like other high-altitude flyers. How can they fly so high? Scientists believe that these birds are biologically built for it. Compared to other birds, the geese have more capillaries and red blood cells that deliver oxygen to their muscle cells very quickly. They also have more energy-producing structures in their muscle cells. And if those were not enough, the birds can breathe in and out rapidly without getting dizzy or passing out, like humans would; so they can increase the amount of oxygen that is in their blood. Despite their soft, pretty appearance, they are quite the super-athlete!     출처: 어린이 영자신문 키즈타임즈 (www.kidstimes.net)