Sideways maneuvers enable narrow aperture negotiation by free-flying hummingbirds.

ABSTRACT: Many birds routinely fly fast through dense vegetation characterized by variably sized structures and voids. Successfully negotiating these cluttered environments requires maneuvering through narrow constrictions between obstacles. We show that Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna) can negotiate apertures less than one wingspan in diameter using a novel sideways maneuver that incorporates continuous, bilaterally asymmetric wing motions. Crucially, this maneuver allows hummingbirds to continue flapping as they negotiate the constriction. Even smaller openings are negotiated via a faster ballistic trajectory characterized by tucked and thus non-flapping wings, which reduces force production and increases descent rate relative to the asymmetric technique. Hummingbirds progressively shift to the

SUBMITTER: Badger MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10651098 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature