Amsterdam  - Dutch scientists Thursday reported that one of 15 Frisian godwit birds they had fitted with tiny transmitters had flown from the Netherlands to the West African state of Senegal within 72 hours - a distance of more than 4,600 kilometres.

The ecologists from the University of Groningen in the northern Netherlands say the particular bird, also known as the Heidenskip, left the northern province of Friesland on Saturday and arrived in one go in Senegal on Tuesday.

In May, Piersma's research group had implanted tiny transmitters in the abdominal cavities of 15 black-tailed godwits.

The transmitter sends data to a satellite, enabling researchers to track the exact position of the birds.

This is how scientists determined that the one Heidenskip flew via Spain and the Sahara to Senegal at an average speed of almost 80 kilometres per hour. The other birds are still in Spain.

The researchers launched their project to find out how the birds migrate between their winter and summer grounds to discover exactly where the waders need protection.

Godwits use the Netherlands as their breeding place, but return "home" to Africa immediately afterwards. (dpa)