Flight has been a fascination for humans for thousands of years, and although we are able to fly in aeroplanes, helicopters, microlights etc, we haven’t quite mastered the art of human powered flight. The idea of being able to soar through the air as effortless as a bird is that of just a dream, as unlike birds we are just simply not adapted for it. Birds have a unique set of adaptions that enable them to take to the skies.
A Wahlberg’s Eagle making flight look effortless
It is thought that birds feathers have evolved from scales which may have been used by their non-aerial reptilian ancestors for insulation. With feathers being lighter than scales as well as being strong and flexible they make for highly efficient flying gear.
Just as we have different clothes for different parts of our bodies, so too do birds have different feathers for different parts of their bodies. There are flight feathers which are found on the wings and tail which aid in well, flight. Contour feathers which cover the body and help with insulation and protection of the bird. Down feathers that lie under the contour feathers and trap air to keep the bird warm. And filoplumes which are tiny hair-like feathers that are thought to detect vibrations and movement.
A European Roller in flight; not only do feathers aid in flight but the bright colours are also used to attract mates.
Compared to mammal bones which are filled with marrow, birds bones are much lighter as they are hollow and are supported by a network of internal struts. The finger bones are reduced and fused together as well as the number of bones in the tail are reduced, altogether this makes the skeleton more rigid which means that there will be less need for the many muscles and tendons to hold the skeleton together, allowing for more advanced muscle power for the wings. There are two sets of muscles attached to an enlarged breast bone that are used to pull the wing up and down which as you can imagine will play a vital part in flying.
A Tawny Eagle. Eagles are large, relatively heavy birds that require powerful flight muscles to get them into the air.
One of the reasons we see certain birds in certain areas is because of their diet, and this also happens to be an adaption for flight. The food that eat are mostly high in usable calories so that the are able to get as many calories from the small amount of food that they eat, such as seeds, fruits and meat. Their bills have also evolved by not having teeth or powerful jaws which will make them a lot heavier, but are still strong and flexible as they are made of the protein keratin.
The adaption that I personally find most fascinating is their unique breathing system that ensures that they acquire the large amount of oxygen needed to sustain flight. They have specialized air sacs that will store inhaled air that has passed through the lungs, then it will be sent back through the lungs again to increase the opportunity for capturing oxygen (this is a simplified version). The air going through the lungs twice ensures that the oxygen is received both with the inhale and the exhale meaning that they are able to benefit far more from each breath.
Image courtesy of the University of the Cumberlands
Yellow-billed Kites fly all the way from Asia and Europe for the Southern African summer.
Together all these adaptions make the bird light, streamlined and strong enough to be able to overcome gravity and continue to trigger our imaginations and keep us wondering what it would be like to truly fly like a bird.
Interesting blog Tayla.
Tayla, wonderful blog today, I never knew about the air movement in birds🤗
it fascinates me to look at say a swift in flight and what appears to be a rapid speed.
Any idea how fast a small bird like a swift does fly?
Thanks for the interesting blog Tayla, have a wonderful week 🙂
Great post Tayla, thanks.
Nicely done. I love the eagle shots. You’re a good shot on a moving target.
Super interesting..thanks Tayla 🙏🏻❤️
Fascinating- I truly learned more about how birds fly from your blog. I had wondered about their lung capacity and how they could sustain flying such long distances. Thank you!
Thanks for the interesting article and the excellent explanations on how birds can fly.
A very interesting blog Tayla. Loved the explanation of the feather distribution and its purpose. Have often wondered what it would be like to be a bird and what they think of us as they look down. Also I like to see them go around in circles without once flapping their wings – I guess they are in some sort of wind tunnel. Fascinating subject. Thank you so much for sharing with us. Be well and stay safe.
So fascinating! I had no idea about the oxygen efficiency system in birds. Thanks so much for the information!!
Tayla thank you for a very informative blog – lots of new and interesting learning there.
Thank you Tayla! We have come more “bird-oriented” on each visit to Londolozi. The education was great and it’s wonderful to keep learning more about our wildlife!
Love watching birds every day, am blessed to have so many where I live. Wish I could fly like they do, only in my dreams : )
Excellent & educative write up on birding basics.powerful and well laid out information.
lnformative & valuable stuff indeed Tayla.