Flying fast improves aerodynamic economy of heavier birds
Flying fast improves aerodynamic economy of heavier birds
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DOI：
10.1038/s41598-024-56325-6
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发表时间：
2024-03-27
影响因子：
4.6
通讯作者：
Askew，Graham N.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Bishop，Charles M.;Halsey，Lewis G.;Askew，Graham N.
鸟类长途迁徙的一个悖论是，鸟类在出发前必须大幅增加体重，但这被认为会大大增加它们飞行的能量成本。然而，我们在这里表明，当成群飞行的信鸽承受腹侧重量时，它们的心率和估计能量消耗都会出现非常小的量增加。最终效果是每单位时间的成本仅略有增加，而每单位质量的成本却有所下降。我们认为，这是因为这些归航飞行相对较快，因此与身体寄生阻力增加相关的飞行成本超过了重量支撑的飞行成本，从而改善了特定质量的飞行经济性。我们认为，在快速飞行过程中携带更大的燃料储备和飞行肌肉所带来的相对较小的绝对空气动力学损失有助于选择长距离迁徙的进化。
A paradox of avian long-distance migrations is that birds must greatly increase their body mass prior to departure, yet this is presumed to substantially increase their energy cost of flight. However, here we show that when homing pigeons flying in a flock are loaded with ventrally located weight, both their heart rate and estimated energy expenditure rise by a remarkably small amount. The net effect is that costs per unit time increase only slightly and per unit mass they decrease. We suggest that this is because these homing flights are relatively fast, and consequently flight costs associated with increases in body parasite drag dominate over those of weight support, leading to an improvement in mass-specific flight economy. We propose that the relatively small absolute aerodynamic penalty for carrying enlarged fuel stores and flight muscles during fast flight has helped to select for the evolution of long-distance migration.