We can’t always see the flows around us, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. Audobon Photography Award winner Kathrin Swaboda waited for a cold morning to catch this spectacular Keep reading
Tag: birds
Pigeon Flutter
Birds are well-known for their vocalizations, but this isn’t their only way to produce noise. A new study on crested pigeons finds that the birds’ wings produce distinctive high and Keep reading
Pelican Surfing
Birds can be incredibly clever about using their surroundings to enhance their flight. Pelicans will even surf! As a line of waves rolls toward shore, it pushes a small updraft Keep reading
The Seabird That Can’t Get Wet
Unlike most seabirds, the frigatebird does not have waterproof feathers. Landing in the water during a transoceanic flight would quickly drown the bird, so instead they stay aloft. But until Keep reading
Flying in Cramped Quarters
A new study has found that budgerigars (also commonly known as parakeets or budgies) fly at only two distinct speeds. The researchers flew the birds in a tapered tunnel to Keep reading
Fluttering Feathers
Birds do not always vocalize in order to make their songs. The male African broadbill, shown in the top video above, makes a very distinctive brreeeet in its flight displays, but Keep reading
Grebe Rushing Physics
As capable a water-runner as the common basilisk is, the western and Clark’s grebe is even more impressive. Not only do these birds weigh up to three times as much as Keep reading
Perching Physics
Compared to birds, manmade aircraft tend to be quite limited and inelegant. Fixed-wing aircraft, for example, require long, flat areas for take-off and landing, whereas birds of all sizes are Keep reading
Falcon vs. Raven
Earth Unplugged has posted some great high-speed footage of a peregrine falcon and a raven in flight. Notice how both birds draw their wings inward and back on the upstroke. Keep reading
Turning Sound Into Imagery
The acoustic signatures of many animals contain features we humans cannot appreciate, given the limited range of frequencies we can hear. In fluid dynamics and many other fields, scientists and Keep reading