Limits to sustainable avian flight performance

可持续鸟类飞行性能的限制

• 批准号: BB/F015615/1
• 负责人: Charles Bishop
• 金额: $ 91.14万
• 依托单位: Bangor University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2008 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FF015615%2F1
• 关键词: Limits; sustainable; avian; flight; performance

We propose to undertake the first detailed scientific studies into the flight biology, migratory physiology and energetics of bar-headed geese in the wild using the latest electronic dataloggering technology. Ultimately, we will address the question of where are the limits to sustainable avian flight performance at high altitudes and what is the effect of body mass? In particular, how do larger species cope during flight with the combined effects of reduced air density, low oxygen availability and decreased temperature? Only a few species of larger birds are thought to be able to sustain long periods of flapping flight at high altitudes and these have received little study. The best known species is the bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) which performs one of the most physically challenging and impressive avian migrations by flying twice a year through the high plateau areas of the Himalayas, with some populations travelling between high altitude breeding grounds in China and lowland wintering areas in northern India. Despite their extraordinary flight performance and immensely interesting physiology and behaviour, neither the aerodynamic or physiological adaptations required to perform such feats are well understood. We will use miniature GPS tracking devices to provide detailed position and altitude during the flights so that we can identify their route in relation to the geographical topography and environmental conditions. This will also allow us to measure their rates of climb when migrating through the mountains. The bar-headed goose migration is exceptional for such a large bird as aerodynamic and biomechanical considerations suggest that as birds increase in body mass flight performance should deteriorate. Thus, bar-headed geese with a body mass of around 2.5 to 3.5 kg should only have a marginal physical capacity to sustain climbing flight even at sea level, and this ability should get worse as altitude increases due to the decrease in air density. By using 3-axis accelerometry we will be able to calculate the net aerodynamic forces acting on the body of the birds and monitor any changes in wingbeat frequency and relative wingbeat amplitude in response to changes in altitude and during the climbing flight. Their flights are also remarkable due to the physiological difficulties of sustaining any kind of exercise while coping with the harsh environmental conditions of the Tibetan plateau, especially the low ambient temperatures and the reduced availability of oxygen. Nevertheless, bar-headed geese have been recorded to fly between 4,000 m and 8,000 m, where partial pressures of oxygen are around 50% that of sea-level and temperatures can be as low as -20 C. We will measure the heart beat frequency of the birds during flights at different altitudes and estimate the maximum efforts expended during climbing flights in relation to their maximum expected capabilities. To place the remarkable migratory flights of the bar-headed goose in context, some 90% of avian migrations over land occur below 2000 m and the majority below 1000 m, which is well below the level of some of the main breeding lakes of the bar-headed goose (4,200 m to 4,718 m). We anticipate that the geographical barrier of the Himalayas should force these relatively large birds to fly close to the limits of their cardiac, muscular, respiratory and aerodynamic abilities. Indeed, this proposal will address the hypothesis that these migratory climbing flights may only by possible with the assistance of favourable up currents of air due to weather fronts or topographical reflections. Recent developments in electronic dataloggers now make it possible to measure both physical and physiological aspects of flight behaviour in free-flying birds rather than in animals constrained by captive conditions. Access to free-flying bar-headed geese would provide a unique opportunity to study the flight biology of a relatively large bird pushed to the extremes of its performance.

我们建议利用最新的电子数据记录技术，对野生斑头雁的飞行生物学、迁徙生理学和能量学进行首次详细的科学研究。最终，我们将解决在哪里限制鸟类在高海拔地区可持续飞行的问题，以及体重的影响是什么？特别是，较大的物种在飞行过程中如何应对空气密度降低、氧气可获得性低和温度下降的综合影响？只有少数几种较大的鸟类被认为能够在高海拔地区维持长时间的拍打飞行，而且这些物种几乎没有得到研究。最广为人知的物种是斑头雁，它每年两次飞越喜马拉雅高原地区，进行最具体力挑战和最令人印象深刻的鸟类迁徙，一些种群在中国的高海拔繁殖地和印度北部的低地越冬区之间飞行。尽管它们非凡的飞行性能和非常有趣的生理和行为，但执行这些壮举所需的空气动力学或生理适应都不是很好的理解。我们会使用微型GPS追踪器，在飞行过程中提供详细的位置和高度，以便我们可以根据地理地形和环境条件确定它们的路线。这也将使我们能够测量它们在山脉中迁徙时的攀登速度。斑头雁的迁徙对于这样一种大型鸟类来说是例外的，因为空气动力学和生物力学考虑表明，随着鸟类身体质量的增加，飞行性能应该会恶化。因此，体重在2.5至3.5公斤左右的斑头雁即使在海平面上也只有维持爬升飞行的边际体能，而且由于空气密度的降低，这种能力应该会随着海拔的增加而变得更差。通过使用三轴加速度计，我们将能够计算作用在鸟类身体上的净空气动力，并监测翼拍频率和相对翼拍幅度随高度变化和爬升飞行过程中的任何变化。他们的飞行也很引人注目，因为在应对青藏高原恶劣的环境条件，特别是环境温度低和氧气供应减少的情况下，维持任何形式的运动都存在生理困难。然而，斑头雁已被记录在4000米至8000米之间飞行，那里的氧分压约为海平面的50%，温度可低至零下20摄氏度。我们将测量斑头雁在不同高度飞行时的心跳频率，并根据它们最大的预期能力估计攀爬过程中所花费的最大努力。考虑到斑头雁显著的迁徙飞行，约90%的鸟类在陆地上的迁徙发生在2000米以下，大部分发生在1000米以下，这远远低于斑头雁一些主要繁殖湖泊的水平(4,200米至4,718米)。我们预计，喜马拉雅山脉的地理屏障应该会迫使这些相对较大的鸟类飞到接近它们的心脏、肌肉、呼吸和空气动力学能力的极限。事实上，这项建议将解决这样一种假设，即这些迁徙攀登飞行可能只有在天气锋面或地形反射的有利上升气流的帮助下才有可能。电子数据记录仪的最新发展现在使测量自由飞行鸟类的飞行行为的物理和生理方面成为可能，而不是在受圈养条件限制的动物身上。获得自由飞行的斑头雁将为研究一种相对较大的鸟类的飞行生物学提供一个独特的机会，这种鸟的表现被推到了极致。

项目成果

Geographic variation in bar-headed geese Anser indicus: connectivity of wintering areas and breeding grounds across a broad front

斑头雁的地理变异：广阔前沿的越冬区和繁殖地的连通性

• 期刊: Wildfowl -Slimbridge-
• 作者: John Takekawa (Author)

Stable Isotopes Suggest Low Site Fidelity in Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus) in Mongolia: Implications for Disease Transmission.

• DOI: 10.1675/063.038.0201
• 发表时间: 2015-06
• 期刊: Waterbirds
• 影响因子: 0.3
• 作者: Bridge ES;Kelly JF;Xiao X;Batbayar N;Natsagdorj T;Hill NJ;Takekawa JY;Hawkes LA;Bishop CM;Butler PJ;Newman SH
• 通讯作者: Newman SH

Flying over an infected landscape: distribution of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 risk in South Asia and satellite tracking of wild waterfowl.

• DOI: 10.1007/s10393-010-0672-8
• 发表时间: 2010-12
• 期刊: ECOHEALTH
• 影响因子: 2.5
• 作者: Gilbert, Marius;Newman, Scott H.;Takekawa, John Y.;Loth, Leo;Biradar, Chandrashekhar;Prosser, Diann J.;Balachandran, Sivananinthaperumal;Rao, Mandava Venkata Subba;Mundkur, Taej;Yan, Baoping;Xing, Zhi;Hou, Yuansheng;Batbayar, Nyambayar;Natsagdorj, Tseveenmayadag;Hogerwerf, Lenny;Slingenbergh, Jan;Xiao, Xiangming
• 通讯作者: Xiao, Xiangming

Maximum running speed of captive bar-headed geese is unaffected by severe hypoxia.

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094015
• 发表时间: 2014
• 期刊: PloS one
• 影响因子: 3.7
• 作者: Hawkes LA;Butler PJ;Frappell PB;Meir JU;Milsom WK;Scott GR;Bishop CM
• 通讯作者: Bishop CM