. 24/7 Space News .
EARLY EARTH
Experts' high-flying study reveals secrets of soaring birds
by Staff Writers
Swansea UK (SPX) Jul 27, 2020

The Andean condor in flight - recording devices revealed it actually flaps its wings for just one per cent of its flight time.

New research has revealed when it comes to flying the largest of birds don't rely on flapping to move around. Instead they make use of air currents to keep them airborne for hours at a time.

The Andean condor - the world's heaviest soaring bird which can weigh in at up to 15kg - actually flaps its wings for one per cent of its flight time.

The study is part of a collaboration between Swansea University's Professor Emily Shepard and Dr Sergio Lambertucci in Argentina, that uses high-tech flight-recorders on Andean condors. These log each and every wingbeat and twist and turn in flight as condors search for food.

The team wanted to find out more about how birds' flight efforts vary depending on environmental conditions. Their findings will help to improve understanding about large birds' capacity for soaring and the specific circumstances that make flight costly.

During the study, the researchers discovered that more than 75 per cent of the condors' flapping was associated with take-off.

However, once in the sky condors can sustain soaring for long periods in a wide range of wind and thermal conditions - one bird managed to clock up five hours without flapping, covering around 172 km or more than 100 miles.

The findings are revealed in a new paper Physical limits of flight performance in the heaviest soaring bird, which has just been published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Dr Hannah Williams, now at the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behaviour, said: "Watching birds from kites to eagles fly, you might wonder if they ever flap.

"This question is important, because by the time birds are as big as condors, theory tells us they are dependent on soaring to get around.

"Our results revealed the amount the birds flapped didn't change substantially with the weather.

"This suggests that decisions about when and where to land are crucial, as not only do condors need to be able to take off again, but unnecessary landings will add significantly to their overall flight costs."

Professor Shepard, who is part of Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, said as all the birds they studied were immature, it demonstrated that low investment in flight is possible even in the early years of a condor's life.

Closer examination showed the challenges the birds faced as they moved between weak thermals. The condors were seen to flap more as they reached the end of the glides between thermals when they were likely to be closer to the ground.

Dr Lambertucci explained: "This is a critical time as birds need to find rising air to avoid an unplanned landing. These risks are higher when moving between thermal updrafts.

"Thermals can behave like lava lamps, with bubbles of air rising intermittently from the ground when the air is warm enough. Birds may therefore arrive in the right place for a thermal, but at the wrong time."

"This is a nice example of where the behaviour of the birds can provide insight into the behaviour of the air."

Research paper


Related Links
Swansea University
Explore The Early Earth at TerraDaily.com


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


EARLY EARTH
American crocodiles likely left Africa more than 5 million years ago
Washington DC (UPI) Jul 23, 2020
Novel bone structures found on the skull of Crocodylus checchiai, an extinct African crocodile species, suggest American crocodiles originated in Africa, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports. Over the last few years, molecular biologists have shown that the four crocodile species found in the Americas are close relatives of the Nile crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus. Researchers say that Crocodylus checchiai rests somewhere between the Nile crocodile an ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

EARLY EARTH
Astronauts conclude third spacewalk on historic SpaceX mission

From the Moon to Mars: China's march across space

Astronauts add expertise, refine space station science in orbit

Student space simulation is seeking astronauts

EARLY EARTH
Rocket to lift Mars probe moved to launch pad

Soyuz Launches From Kourou to Resume in October, German Aerospace Centre Says

New electric propulsion chamber explores the future of space travel

NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonauts perform habitability test of Crew Dragon capsule

EARLY EARTH
Emirates Mars Mission to launch with ASU instrument

UAE again delays Mars probe launch over weather

Emirates Mars Mission delayed a second time by weather

UAE plans to launch Mars probe Friday after weather delay

EARLY EARTH
Tianwen 1 probe to soon blast off for Mars

China's newest carrier rocket fails in debut mission

China's tracking ship wraps up satellite launch monitoring

Final Beidou launch marks major milestone in China's space effort

EARLY EARTH
China launches new commercial telecommunication satellite

Satellite for US Air Force launched as part of L3Harris' Responsive Constellation Contract

SpaceX delays launch of mini-satellites

Columbus gets a new European science rack

EARLY EARTH
Scientists map radioactive soil in Western Europe

New biomaterial could shield against harmful radiation

In Sweden, a 'second-hand' mall draws big crowds

Microsoft sees growth amid pandemic computing demands

EARLY EARTH
Artificial intelligence predicts which planetary systems will survive

'Disk Detective' Needs Your Help Finding Disks Where Planets Form

Supercomputer reveals atmospheric impact of gigantic planetary collisions

NASA Awards SETI Institute Contract for Planetary Protection Support

EARLY EARTH
The collective power of the solar system's dark, icy bodies

Ocean in Jupiter's moon Europa "could be habitable"

Evidence supports 'hot start' scenario and early ocean formation on Pluto

Proposed NASA Mission Would Visit Neptune's Curious Moon Triton









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.