Subject: High Flyer 26,000 feet +
Date: Jan 6 13:43:19 1999
From: Li, Kevin - Kevin.Li at METROKC.GOV


Chris,

Thanks for the information, although it begs more questions and rampant
speculation. What do choughs eat? What are they doing up there that they
can't do at a lower elevation?

Kevin Li
Seattle

> ----------
> From: Christopher Hill[SMTP:cehill at u.washington.edu]
> Reply To: cehill at u.washington.edu
> Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 12:30 PM
> To: sanjer at televar.com
> Cc: Inland-nw-birders; tweeters
> Subject: Re: High Flyer 26,000 feet +
>
> On Wed, 6 Jan 1999 sanjer at televar.com wrote:
>
> > I watched a program last night about climbing Mt. Everest.The climbers
> > set up a camp at 26,000 feet and what do I see come into view--a bird
> > soaring above the climbers. I couldn't tell the size with nothing but
> > sky around it.
> >
> > Does any one have any ideas what kind of bird soars at over 26,000
> > feet.
> >
> > Jerry Converse
> > Grand Coulee, WA
>
> Alpine choughs (Coracus graculus) has been seen at 27,000 feet on Mt.
> Everest. Although there are records of birds migrating at heights up to
> nearly 20,000 feet, I've never seen any reports of another species than
> the chough at that altitude. Choughs are crow-like birds - black, about
> the same size, but with thinner, colored bills. Could you tell anything
> about the color or shape of the bird you glimpsed?
>
> Chris Hill
> Everett, WA
> cehill at u.washington.edu
>