Secrets of bird flight revealed
Newsletter 07/07/2017
The Northern Bald Ibis is becoming increasingly established as a model for the investigation of the formation flight. In a new study, published this week, Voelkl and Fritz present by far the most extensive dataset on the precise positioning of birds in formation flight, collected with Northern Bald Ibises during a human-guided migration journey from Salzburg to southern Tuscany.
The positions of 14 juvenile birds were recorded during 24 hours of flight in four stages over a distance of 965 km.
The outcome confirms the results of our previous studies on V-formation flight. But it goes beyond that. Patterns and social organization of birds migrating in groups have so far been elusive to study. The data indicate an asymmetry in the position and function of the individuals during the formation flight. This gives us a first understanding of the social dynamics during the formation flight.
About 1800 (almost 20% of all) bird species are migrants, undertaking seasonal migration flights up to hundreds and thousands of kilometres. During their journeys, they are particularly exposed to natural and human related mortality causes. Due to that, 25% of them are listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
It is of particular relevance for the conservation of endangered migratory bird species to understand the pattern and function of bird migration flight. The critically endangered Northern Bald Ibis serves as a model species, for its own benefit as well as for bird conservation in general.
This year, a human-raised group of 31 birds is located near the city of Überlingen at Lake Constance, Baden Württemberg. There, they are currently trained to follow a microlight aircraft. During the human-led migration, which will start from Überlingen about mid of August, a number of scientists join our team. They will collect further data during the migration flights, using new tracking technologies. We aim to gain further insight into the secret of bird flight.
Download: Voelkl B & Fritz J (2017): http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/cgi/content/abstract/rstb.2016.0235
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