Avian flight

• Main Author: Videler, John J
• Format: eBook Book
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 2005
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Birds; Birds > Flight; Flight

Bird flight has always intrigued mankind. This book provides an up-to-date account of our existing knowledge on the subject, offering new insights and challenging some established views. A brief history of the science of flight introduces the basic physical principles governing aerial locomotion. Th...

Table of Contents:

• Intro -- Contents -- 1 Acquisition of knowledge -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Ancient thoughts -- 1.3 A chronicle of cognition -- 1.4 The rise of aerodynamics -- 1.5 Application of principles -- 1.6 Accumulation of knowledge in the twentieth century -- 1.7 Novel initiatives -- 1.8 Summary and conclusions -- 2 The flight apparatus -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Wing morphology -- 2.3 Dynamic wing properties -- 2.4 Scaling wings -- 2.5 Attempts to a functional interpretation of bird wings -- 2.6 Tail structure and function -- 2.7 The rest of the body in relation to flight -- 2.8 Summary and conclusions -- 3 Feathers for flight -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 General description of contour feathers -- 3.3 Mechanical properties of feathers -- 3.4 Functional interpretation of flight-related microstructures -- 3.5 Tail feathers -- 3.6 Feather muscles and nerves -- 3.7 Summary and conclusions -- 4 Aerodynamics -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Rough estimates of forces and power -- 4.3 Visualization of the wake -- 4.4 The flow near a steadily gliding wing -- 4.5 Aerodynamics of flapping flight -- 4.6 Tail aerodynamics -- 4.7 Summary and conclusions -- 5 Evolution of bird flight -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Archaeopteryx -- 5.3 Landing after an arboreal or cursorial start? -- 5.4 The Jesus-Christ dinosaur hypothesis -- 5.5 How could Archaeopteryx run over water? -- 5.6 Other fossils with characteristics possibly related to the beginning of flight -- 5.7 Summary and conclusions -- 6 Bird flight modes -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 The flight plan -- 6.3 Cruising flight characteristics -- 6.4 Hovering -- 6.5 Windhovering -- 6.6 Techniques to reduce the energetic demands of flapping flight -- 6.7 Gliding -- 6.8 Manoeuvring -- 6.9 Accurate measurements of speed -- 6.10 Summary and conclusions -- 7 The bird flight engine -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 A glimpse under a starling's cowling
• 7.3 Muscle activity -- 7.4 Pectoralis force and work: using the deltopectoral crest as a strain gauge -- 7.5 The main upstroke muscle -- 7.6 Tail steering -- 7.7 Wing beat cycles and respiration -- 7.8 Summary and conclusions -- 8 Energy required for flight -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Mass loss estimates -- 8.3 Respirometric results from cunning experiments -- 8.4 Gas exchange measurements in wind tunnels -- 8.5 Measurements based on the turnover of stable isotopes -- 8.6 The cost of hovering -- 8.7 Summary and conclusions -- 9 Comparing the metabolic costs of flight -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 How to make fair comparisons? -- 9.3 Flight costs related to body mass -- 9.4 Birds compared with other flyers -- 9.5 Metabolic rates as units of energy expenditure -- 9.6 Predictions from aerodynamic models -- 9.7 Hovering flight -- 9.8 Summary and conclusions -- Appendix 1 -- Appendix 2 -- Appendix 3 -- References -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- X -- Y