{
  "id": 17400443,
  "title": "Seabirds racing home over the ocean can get jet-lagged",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/seabirds-racing-home-over-the-ocean-can-get-jet-lagged",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-31T11:15:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ars Technica",
    "slug": "ars-technica",
    "url": "https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/10/seabirds-racing-home-over-the-ocean-can-get-jet-lagged/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "When humans embark on long-distance flights, they often experience jet lag due to their bodies feeling it's still the middle of the night while the clock indicates it's lunchtime. Surprisingly, this phenomenon is not limited to humans; it also affects seabirds. A study published in Science reveals that Manx shearwaters, seabirds capable of flying hundreds of kilometers daily over the North Atlantic, subject themselves to jet lag during their extensive journeys. The researchers found that the birds' navigation abilities, which rely on the Sun, are impacted by this jet lag, distorting their internal compass. Patrick Lewin, a behavioral and sensory ecologist at the University of Oxford and the study's lead author, explained that Manx shearwaters are medium-sized birds, similar in size to a pigeon. They have white undersides, black tops, and long wings, closely related to albatross. These seabirds build their nests in burrows on coastal islands across the North Atlantic, with the majority breeding in the UK and Ireland, with half of their population residing in Wales.",
  "summary": "A long flight home from feeding grounds messes with birds' internal clocks.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}