. | . |
Record-shattering birds stay in air for 10 months: study by Staff Writers Miami (AFP) Oct 27, 2016 A small, dark-feathered bird known as the common swift flies for 10 months on end without ever landing, the longest time spent aloft of any known bird, scientists said Thursday. The findings in the US journal Current Biology confirmed a 46-year-old hypothesis, first offered by British researcher Ron Lockley, that these birds spend most of their lives in the air. A team of researchers from Sweden fitted tiny backpacks on 13 of the brownish-black birds. Weighing only one gram, these microdata logs recorded whether the birds were in the air or not, their acceleration, and where they had been at any given time. "When the common swifts leave their breeding site in August for a migration to the Central African rainforests via West Africa, they never touch ground until they return for the next breeding season 10 months later," said researcher Anders Hedenstrom of Lund University in Sweden. "Some individuals may roost for brief periods, or even entire nights in mid-winter, but others literally never landed during this period." Those who did stop did so only briefly, and spent 99.5 percent of the 10 months in the air. The birds catch food while in flight, according to the study. Researchers said they still don't know if or how the birds sleep during this time, but suggested that they might catch a few winks when they fly to high altitudes each day at dawn and dusk, and then slowly descend. During the day, they probably save energy by gliding in upward currents of warm air. "This discovery significantly pushes the boundaries for what we know about animal physiology," said Hedenstrom. "A 10-month flight phase is the longest we know of any bird species -- it's a record." Other kinds of birds, such as the frigate bird, are known to sleep while gliding.
Related Links Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |