Page 8 - September 29, 2021

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Flying is for the Birds

Human flight has been inspired by birds
and their remarkable adaptations.

NATURE AROUND US J. Morton Galetto, CU Maurice River

rowing up I remember that any
movies about the invention of flight
Gfor human transport included the
Wright Brothers as well as a man who
donned wings. His venture, from my recol-
lections, involved feathers strapped to his
arms and a leap from a structure onto the
ground, resulting in a balled-up mess of
plumes. I don’t recall a name being associ-
ated with this botched attempt, but then
history remembers successes better than
failures. However, a reminder for children
is that you can’t hit a homer if you don’t
swing at the ball.
So clearly not everything with feathers
flies. In fact some birds with feathers don’t
fly and other animals fly that have no feath-
ers, as mentioned in last week’s article—
bugs, bats, and fish (well, sort of).
As for our nameless inventor who An osprey holds its primary and secondary wing feathers tightly to-
donned wings, you can rightfully conclude gether and its tail closed for speed. PHOTOS BY AUTHOR
that his arms, and yours, lack the proper
profile to allow airborne flight. There are By fanning its tail and wing feathers open an osprey initiates a stall
people who do sometimes wear wingsuits over the bander to protest its visit. The tail is often used like a rudder These chicks, about two weeks away from making
called BASE jumpers, BASE being an acro- for direction in flight. Note the band on the right leg. their first flights, face the wind. One exercises
its wings as it considers jumping overboard.
nym for the objects that they propel them-
selves from—buildings, antennae, spans it possible for birds to become airborne, cactus, gourds, and a plethora of other sur- weeks of age they start floating up and low-
(bridges), and earth, primarily cliffs. BASE inducing air to move faster above the wing faces. Examining some species will give you ering back to the nest. They exercise their
jumpers reach speeds up to 120+ miles per than beneath. The pressure on the upper wings a lot in preparation for their first
hour, called terminal speeds and for good surface is less than beneath, which creates insight into these factors. solos at seven to eight weeks of age.
Common loons are skilled flyers who
reason. In checking out this activity online the force we term ‘lift.’ can reach speeds of 70 miles an hour, while Ospreys, like other hawks, also make use
I found there are lists of “the departed” To achieve take-off there also needs a few other waterfowl can do so as well. But of high perches; thus they can rely on glid-
associated with this sport. That’s one good to be thrust. An airplane relies on engines for lift-off they need a long watery runway. ing, thermals, and flapping. Young osprey
reason why I’ll stick to birds for this article. while the bird relies on muscles and flap- who are not used to flight are often found
There are lots of aerodynamic factors ping. Birds’ chests are designed to accom- In fact they can only achieve flight over
that are important for achieving lift-off and modate a lot of muscle, and they are also the water’s surface. Occasionally you hear exhausted on the ground or on docks and
are unable to get airborne. In these instanc-
stories of loons who at night mistook a wet
birds have many physical attributes that relatively lightweight and streamlined to roadway for a pond, landed, and then need- es they are susceptible to predation and
allow them to achieve flight. Their wings, further enable flight. Their feathers are ed transport to a body of water—always elements, but if allowed sufficient time to
like those of planes and insects, are basically light but strong. The ratio of body to wing, rest they are normally able to achieve flight.
airfoils, curved surfaces that are designed wing shape, feather placement, their foot’s assuming that hanging out on the roadway Experienced osprey can fly from a low sur-
didn’t leave them like our departed human
with a favorable ratio of lift to drag to allow design… all determine many things, such as jumpers. face and even after submerging in water.
flight. The body or fuselage shape can how they achieve their take-off and land- CU Maurice River’s experiences with They are often said to be the only bird that
reduce drag and make flight easier as well. ing, how much they perch, how often they osprey have taught us a great deal about can shake off water in flight.
A bird’s wing is wider where it connects soar, and how long they can soar, among So larger, heavier birds prefer to rely
to the body and tapers near the tip. The other characteristics. In considering how flight. At about six weeks of age the chicks on soaring or gliding to get started, and
begin to face the wind, which aids in lift.
leading edge is thicker than the trailing they achieve their flight, think about those Just try launching a kite with the wind at they also position their wings to create an
edge. The wing shape and feathers make
BASE jumpers and now add water, trees, its back—likely impossible. At around seven updraft. Small songbirds depend on rapid