Mechanism of flight of birds from a perch: A short note and micro-video

Bird often take off for flight from a perch in three steps as follows

• Lifting the body up with help of elastic force of their muscle-less feet

• Taking a high jump to drives the body forward

• Beating its wings against the air to get uplift

• Gliding with open wings for forward motion

All flying birds are like living aeroplanes and make use of aerodynamically principles to fly perfectly.

Major facts

• The forelimbs of birds are modified as wings by nature. Their wings perform the two major functions as follows

• Wings work as surface where air-current acts to provide up-lift and support the body in the air

• Flapping wings are provide necessary air current to required for the lifting of the body as well as moving it forward.

• The forward motion is more like gliding due streamlined body and wing shape

• Perched bird press their feet against the surface and then unlocks its feet to raise its body by loosening the tendons around its ankle since its feet do not have muscles.

• The simplest mode of flight in birds is the gliding which is followed by rapid strokes of wings. The motionless spread of wings makes a bird to glide forward.