DO BIRDS
SUFFER FROM TURBULENCE WHEN
FLYING?
Birds normally fly close to the ground, around trees and
buildings, or soar in the rising air of thermals. Both are high-turbulence
environments, but birds have two adaptations that make them much better at
coping with it than planes. Nerves at the base of their feathers allow them to
detect the flow of air over their wings and monitor turbulence very accurately.
Instead of waiting for an air gust to buffet the entire wing, they can
anticipate each minor eddy and continuously make tiny adjustments. Large
soaring birds, like eagles and vultures, can also quickly tuck their wings
downward and coast through a small patch of turbulence. Each tuck last just a
third of a sudden loading on their wings.
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