It turns out that Andean condors don’t have to flap their wings much.
Facundo Vital
Look, ma, there are no fins.
An Andean condor, one of the largest flying birds on the planet, soared into the air for 100 miles (172 kilometers) and did not bother to flap its wings. This epic example of flight comes to us from a team led by researchers from the University of Swansea in the UK.
The scientists deeply analyzed the connection between environmental conditions and the amount of effort that large birds put into their flights. To do this, they attached data loggers to the Andean condors that allowed them to record each wing flap, as well as the flight paths of the birds.
The study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that Andean condors only flap their wings for about 1% of their flight time. Most of that happened during takeoffs and when flying close to the ground.
The great resistance of the condors is impressive, but these heavy birds must choose their battles when it comes to spending energy on the fins.
“Our results revealed that the amount of bird flapping did not change substantially with the weather,” said study co-author Hannah Williams of the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior. “This suggests that decisions about when and where to land are crucial, as not only do condors need to be able to take off again, but unnecessary landings will significantly increase their overall flight costs.”
The study establishes a connection between today’s condors and some extinct giants that were “more like a dragon“” Overall, this may help explain how extinct birds twice as large as condors could have flown, “the document suggests.
There could also be some life lessons for humans here. You don’t always have to sweat. Sometimes the easiest route is the best.
