Today, the top of the podium among feathered pilots is occupied by Rüppel's vulture (Gyps rueppellii) - the highest bird. It is these birds, according to ornithologists, that most often cause collisions with flying aircraft. The world record for the height of a vulture's flight is 12,150 meters and has not yet been broken.
Vultures are the same as eagles, only with an unfeathered head and neck. They live in pairs, avoiding communication with their relatives, and get together only to share a meal. Rüppel's vulture lives in the east and north of the African continent, for which he received the African vulture.
The flights of these birds are a delight, but how birds flying at such altitudes cope with low temperatures, solar radiation and rarefied air is not known for certain to science.
mountain goose
It is impossible to believe that the fat and clumsy mountain goose (Eulabeia indica) can rise to a height of 10,175 m! However, it is true. This bird, which builds nests at altitudes of up to 5000m in the mountains of Central Asia, is capable of flying over the peaks of the Himalayas in just 8 hours. Although they are not capable of covering very long distances without a rest break.
The mountain goose, like all other species, belongs to the fauna of northern latitudes. They migrate to warm regions only by gathering in large flocks and lining up in a wedge. Unlike the duck family, geese of different sexes have the same plumage.
Whooper swan
In the north of Europe there lives another high-flying representative of waterfowl - the whooper (Cygnus cygnus) - a large bird up to 10 kg. In the winter of 1967, in the skies of Ireland, radars detected a small flock of swans flying at an altitude of 8230 meters. It is worth noting that the ability of these birds at an altitude of more than 8 thousand meters has been confirmed more than once. The whooper swan differs from its relatives with a black tip beak and a powerful, not devoid of harmony voice.
Mallard
The most recognizable bird from the duck family is Anas platyrhynchos, or simply called a wild duck. But only a few people know that this waterfowl is also a first-class flyer. When the season of annual migration to wintering grounds begins, mallards rise to altitudes of 6900 m, which has sometimes led to collisions with aircraft.
The longest-winged and most legendary seabirds are, of course, albatrosses. "RG" presents a unique photo series from their life, made by Kaliningrad oceanologist Alexander Remeslo, and tries to figure out what the most popular myths about these sea wanderers are based on.
1. Albatross is the largest flying bird in the world
This is a controversial issue. Many researchers put the condor in first place, although it is comparable in size to the albatross. But at sea, the primacy undeniably belongs to the wandering and very similar royal albatrosses (adult birds can only be distinguished by an experienced ornithologist), which have the longest wings of all seabirds. Their span reaches three and a half meters. These birds weigh 8-10 kilograms.
2. An albatross can fly for weeks without landing.
Not for weeks, of course, but for hours, almost all day long, the albatross can soar: these majestic birds spend most of their lives in the air, covering vast distances over the ocean. From one popular book about seabirds, the story is rewritten of how a wandering albatross, ringed in the Tasman Sea, was encountered six months later off the island of South Georgia, and about six months later was recaptured off the coast of Australia. Today, many well-known ornithologists, not without reason, believe that during their lives wandering albatrosses make several trips around the world, flying around Antarctica with western tailwinds. There is evidence that this species can travel 6,000 kilometers in just 12 days.
3. Albatrosses never land on water
This is, of course, a fallacy. They sit down, and often: after all, their food - surface fish, mollusks, crustaceans - lives in the water. But they really don’t usually land on the deck of ships: it’s difficult for them to take off from a flat surface - long wings and short legs get in the way. Therefore, it is inconvenient for them to take off from the surface of the sea into a calm: in such weather, wandering albatrosses sit on the water for a long time, are reluctant and difficult to take off, and at the same time they have to work hard. At first, the albatross accelerates, pushing off the surface with its short legs, then flies low over the water, occasionally flapping its wings, and soon lands on the water again. The landing looks even more interesting: with its webbed feet extended forward, with its wings wide open, it touches the surface of the water and, as if on water skis, raising splashes, glides a few more meters along the surface of the sea, after which it carefully folds its wings.
4. The appearance of an albatross heralds a storm
This sign can be considered quite justified, since strong and moderate winds are optimal for the gliding flight of large albatrosses. It is no coincidence that the albatross is a symbol of the “roaring” forties stormy latitudes of the Southern Ocean. However, it is also not easy for them to resist a hurricane. In addition, it is difficult for them to find prey on the raging surface of the ocean.
5. The albatross is aggressive and bloodthirsty
This is an exaggeration, but we should not forget that the albatross is a predator. There are reliable cases where dead people wearing life jackets were found with their eyes gouged out by seabirds and their faces mutilated. A well-deserved friend of the captain said that he witnessed a case when a sailor who slipped down a slip into the water while hauling a trawl was attacked by albatrosses. Fortunately for the victim, he was quickly lifted onto the deck. And in fishing areas, for example, off the Falkland Islands and on the Patagonian shelf, the majestic wandering albatross, along with other, smaller albatrosses and petrels, turns into a banal scavenger, not disdaining ship garbage and waste from seafood production.
6. The albatross flies without flapping its wings
Indeed, the albatross mainly flaps during takeoff and landing, and for flight it uses not so much muscular effort as air currents. Therefore, it can soar for hours without a single movement of its wings. The flight of these birds is mesmerizing. You can tirelessly watch for a long time how the albatross “glides” at the very surface of the water between the shafts of heavy ocean waves, then makes several rare strokes and rises upward at an acute angle to the wind. Having gained maximum height, he makes a sharp turn and again rushes down to the foaming crests of the waves. And so it repeats over and over again, turn after turn, hour after hour. Sometimes, having caught the rising air currents, the albatross hovers above the deck of a moving ship.
7. The souls of dead sailors move into albatrosses
Of course, this is just an old maritime superstition from the times when the bodies of dead sailors were lowered into the sea, sewn into burlap. It further says that the albatross dies in flight, touching the wing of the young albatross with its wing, to which it transfers human souls, and itself falls like a stone into the sea. It is not surprising that the legends about the albatross are so poetic - this symbol of sea romance itself is so beautiful.
8. Killing an albatross means bringing misfortune
This point follows from the previous one. Stories about the troubles that killing or capturing an albatross brings to sailors have existed since ancient times. Nowadays, when many hundreds of seabirds die annually in fishing areas, including wandering albatrosses, which become entangled in fishing equipment or swallow fishing bait, the sign is irrelevant. But it’s still quite possible to get into trouble: many species of albatrosses are listed in the International Red Book
In my personal photo archive there is a shameful photograph from thirty years ago: two sailors on the deck of a ship holding an albatross killed with a gun in their hands. Compare their sizes and you will feel the real size of the wandering albatross. But in flight over the surface of the sea, which miraculously conceals size and distance, even this large bird seems much smaller. The impression changes when you find yourself next to the albatross.
Biologists from France, Reunion, Great Britain, Canada and Germany explained how large frigates manage to spend more than a month in the air. By observing several dozen birds, scientists found that frigates actively use the winds that arise around the equatorial calm zones, and also developed a strategy of alternating climbing in thermal currents and soaring. Interestingly, this behavior of birds is hereditary - as soon as the chicks become independent from the adults, they use the same energy sources for flight.
The authors placed sensors for coordinates, position in space and heartbeat on several dozen adult birds and 24 young ones. With their help, scientists tracked seasonal migration and the behavior of animals during flight. In particular, the researchers looked at whether the birds actively used their wings or hovered. The flights studied covered most of the Pacific Ocean, with bird routes starting on Europa Island (near Madagascar) and reaching Indonesia.
The Great Frigate (Fregata minor) belongs to that small number of birds that spend most of their lives in flight. Among all birds, they have the highest ratio of wing size to body weight - with a length of 85 to 105 cm and a weight of only 1.5 kilograms, their wingspan ranges from 205 to 230 cm. The legs of a large frigatebird, on the contrary, are so small that he practically cannot walk on the ground, as well as swim - there are no membranes on his paws. The bird is easily recognized by its W-shaped tail, which serves to improve maneuverability during flight.
Here is a map of the migrations of adult and young birds (left and right, trajectories are marked with lines). Diagrams showing the directions of seasonal winds are provided.
Studies of frigate birds have shown that 82 ± 9 percent of flight time occurs with a low heart rate, which corresponds to very infrequent wing beats or complete immobility. The height at which the birds are located ranges from 30 meters to two kilometers. The situation changes when frigates begin to feed: about 75 percent of the time corresponds to active flapping of their wings. However, the feeding phases occupy only a tenth of the flight.
Adult birds cover about 420 (± 220) kilometers per day. To maintain themselves in the air, birds must constantly
look for rising currents of hot air rising over the ocean. One indicator of thermal currents is the cumulus clouds that form at their tops. Scientists have noticed that birds often not only rise below the lower line of clouds (about one kilometer in height), but also fly higher, using the currents inside the clouds. A rise to a height of 4120 meters was recorded, and the rate of climb (without flapping the wings) reaches four to five meters per second.
Having risen to a height of four kilometers, frigates can fly over 60 kilometers simply by slowly descending, in search of a new thermal flow. The maximum flight duration for adult birds recorded by the authors is 48 days, and short rest periods on the Chagos Islands and Seychelles ranged from 8 to 48 hours. Presumably, frigate birds, like swifts, are able to sleep on the fly.
3D flight path of frigates
Young birds are also good at navigating wind currents. Having become independent from their parents, frigates head to the equator - separately from their adult relatives. There, birds use wind currents moving around calm stripes and fly 450 kilometers a day. This behavior is believed by the authors to be hereditary. Scientists have recorded the maximum flight duration of the “youth” over two months, but on average the flight of young frigates lasted from 25 to 55 days.
What bird never lands on the ground?
Swift
Apus is the swift, the fastest bird on our planet, never descending directly to the ground, the swift is an even higher class flyer than the swallow, since it circles in the air literally all day, usually without sitting down for a minute on the ground or on the branches , not on the wires. In speed, it has no equal among birds, as it can fly 150 km per hour.
the swift, on the contrary, has a completely unusual foot: all four fingers are directed forward, making it look like a fan-shaped rake. It is difficult to grasp a branch with such a paw, but, like climbing hooks, it can catch on the slightest ledge, on any crack on a vertical wall: wooden, stone or rocky.
It is not for nothing that this position - a creature hanging at different heights of vertical surfaces - is characteristic of these birds. Short, clumsy legs are not suitable for walking or even crawling. This is why a swift can never be seen sitting on the ground, which has given rise to the widespread belief that this bird cannot take off from the ground.
In fact, the swift does not land on the ground because it has nothing to do there; He does not collect insects crawling on the ground, catching them with his wide-open mouth only in the air. If for some reason he finds himself on the ground, he takes off from it as easily as a swallow, with the help of unusually strong flaps of his long wings.
However, sometimes it happens to pick up a swift on the ground that does not try to fly away, but in captivity it is not possible to get out, it dies very quickly. What's the matter?
The swift is a small bird, weighing no more than five to ten grams. But he is incredibly voracious, and there is still a mystery here: rarely can you find the remains of any insect in his stomach, usually it is some kind of trifle and, moreover, digested so quickly and well that it has not yet been possible to accurately determine the composition its menu. One thing is certain: at high altitudes, where the swift hunts, very small insects must fly, lifted upward by vertical air currents against their will, so to speak, since they have essentially nothing to do there. But rising air currents occur in good, warm weather and never in bad weather. Rain nails flying insects to the ground, and then the hungry time begins for swifts. Heavy July downpours cause the swift chicks, which are fledged and ready to fly, to fall out of the nest due to underfeeding, and then it is they who are mistaken by people for a bird unable to take off from the ground. In the event of prolonged bad weather, an adult swift may fall to the ground from weakness. He may also be the victim of an accident during an extremely rapid flight - then he ends up at the bottom with broken pectoral muscles or a broken wing bone and becomes the prey of people who believe that he is dying from improper care. What bloody irony and cheap fatalism sound after this words that “God’s bird does not sow, does not plow, but is full,” justifying laziness and freeloading.
The whole life of nature tells us exactly the opposite. The swift, undoubtedly, racing in the air from dawn to late twilight, “plows” a lot, getting food, and besides, the hostile forces of nature sometimes sometimes create situations that destroy a large percentage of these birds.
After searching for food, the next concern is nesting. This immediately begs the question; Where does a bird that does not fall to the ground get building material for its nest or at least for bedding? The fact is that the swift does not build nests at all. Every hole, hollow, break or wide enough gap is suitable for him to lay eggs and hatch chicks. Only bedding is required, and the material for it in the form of threads, feathers, fluff or hairs can always be collected in the air with a strong gust of wind.
Now the not very beautiful character traits of our hero are revealed. But, frankly speaking, it is possible to change a creature that is waging a difficult struggle for existence when it is energetic and unceremonious
One of the most beautiful sights that can bring a person a feeling of freedom and a lot of positive emotions is the flight of birds. Looking at the sky, sometimes I just want to quote Chekhov: “Why don’t people fly? Why don't people fly like birds?
In different parts of the planet, millions of winged creatures soar into the sky every day. Birds are unique and special creatures on our planet. Not only can they take off into the air and cover enormous distances in flight, they also have a number of features, for example, and also. The flight altitude of each bird species is different, but in most cases the flight takes place at an altitude of 150-200 meters above the ground, but this is far from the limit. It is really interesting what the flight altitude can be, and which bird flies the highest.
High-flying record holders
Ninth and tenth place.
White stork. This bird is one of the most beautiful and majestic on the entire planet. Its wingspan averages 1.5 - 2 meters. Thanks to them, the stork can cover enormous distances at altitudes reaching 3 thousand meters.
Black swift. This small bird flies at tremendous speed, more than 120 kilometers per hour. However, the height of its flight is worthy of respect, because the swift can rise to 3 thousand meters.
Eighth place.
Eighth place rightfully belongs to the golden eagle. This bird of prey has excellent eyesight. Therefore, in order to track its prey, a golden eagle can rise to a height of 4.5 thousand meters, and from there it is easy to see even a moving small rodent.
Seventh place.
Andean condor. This majestic bird is a symbol of many Latin American countries, and rightfully deserves it. The condor lives in the Andes and flies long distances at altitudes of up to 5 thousand meters in search of food.
Sixth place.
Plover. A small bird can fly right over the water, almost touching it with its wings. And at the same time, it is capable of rising to a height of up to 6 thousand meters.
Fifth place.
The most recognizable wild duck, the mallard is not only a water lover. She may well compete for the calling of which bird flies the highest, because during seasonal flights the flight altitude of these birds reaches 7 thousand meters. At this altitude, they sometimes even collide with airplanes.
Fourth and third place.
Grey goose. Another representative of waterfowl is in no way inferior to its rival, because it is capable of rising 8 thousand meters above the ground. In addition, gray geese are very brave birds that are not afraid to fight back a predator if it threatens their offspring.
Swan. This bird is perhaps the most beautiful and graceful of all birds known to us. This “aristocrat” has repeatedly confirmed his ability to fly at an altitude of more than 8 thousand meters.
Second place.
An honorable second place in the ranking of the highest flying birds is taken by the bar-headed goose. Despite the fact that this bird cannot cover long distances, its flight altitude is truly amazing. The mountain goose is able to fly over the highest mountain on the planet, Everest, and climb 10 thousand meters!
First place.
Rüppel's neck. The second name of the bird is the African vulture, and it is the undisputed winner in the category “which bird flies the highest”! The highest recorded flight of the record holder is 12,150 meters! Unfortunately, due to such high flights, vultures are very often shot down by planes, apparently this is their price for victory.
Scientists still cannot answer how birds at such altitudes manage to cope with low temperatures and thin air. It’s hard to imagine that it was not scientists, but airplane pilots who were the first to know which bird flies the highest. This truly brings respect to the winged angels!
