Steady as they hover: kinematics of kestrel wing and tail morphing during hovering flights.

ABSTRACT: Wind-hovering birds exhibit remarkable steadiness in flight, achieved through the morphing of their wings and tail. We analysed the kinematics of two nankeen kestrels (Falco cenchroides) engaged in steady wind-hovering flights in a smooth flow wind tunnel. Motion-tracking cameras were used to capture the movements of the birds as they maintained their position. The motion of the birds' head and body, and the morphing motions of their wings and tail were tracked and analysed using correlation methods. The results revealed that wing sweep, representing the flexion/extension movement of the wing, played a significant role in wing motion. Additionally, correlations between different independent degrees of freedom (DoF), including wing and tail coupling, were observed. These kinematic couplings

SUBMITTER: Martinez Groves-Raines M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11418201 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature