Dynamic soaring is the ability that allows albatrosses to travel great distances without constantly expending energy to flap their wings. Due to it, some birds are even able to fly around the entire Southern Ocean in only 46 days. However, this same evolutionary adaptation may restrict the range of environments that the various (endangered) species […]
Many people, myself included, often wish they had a tail. Wouldn’t it be cool to have an extra functional limb? Well, birds are one of the lucky animals that do have tails. However, they’re often overlooked because humans are so fascinated by their wings. Humans can fully function without tails, but the opposite is actually […]
Bats aren’t the only aerial predator of night. Owls with their stealth abilities and quick moves dominate the night. Owls are known as the most silent flying animal. How do owls approach their prey so fast without being noticed? Can we take their solution of silence and apply it to our aircraft?
Migratory birds have many flight formations, called echelons. Each have their own set of advantages. The most common of these is the V shaped formation, which can be called a Skein. Anyone who sees a flight of migrating geese will see its distinct shape. This flight pattern provides the birds with two main advantages. The […]
The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird known to man. At speeds approaching 200 miles per hour while diving, it surely deserves its title. This may seem surprising for a bird about the size of a simple crow, but the falcon accomplishes this feat by tucking its wings into its body,reducing its angle of attack–the […]
We as humans have always marveled at the sight of birds and insects soaring through the air. But eventually we achieved flight with airplanes and even hovering with helicopters. One comes to think, do birds marvel at the wonder of the hummingbirds? Hummingbirds are quite a special species of birds. Like many other birds, hummingbirds […]
We touch keratin every day of our lives. It makes up our hair, nails, and some clothing. The keratin present is mammals is called α-helix keratin, which you can think of protein folded in a helix. The same protein that makes up these materials is what the feathers of a bird, but it is folded differently. Imagine a helix stretched […]