• It took three days to get the device from the mountain

• Scientists get new information about largest bird

• Analyzed on the data of 250 hours of flight

• Data collected through a special device

Representative

New Delhi: This bird has its unique qualities. Andean condor is known as the

world’s largest size bird. On spreading its wings, it covers a width of about ten

feet and it averages over thirty pounds in weight. From this perspective, it can be

assumed that it is the largest size of flying birds. Otherwise there are many more

which are bigger in size but they cannot fly. Now a team of scientists have found

that after moving the wings at once, they cover a distance of about one hundred

miles. Anyway, this bird is already known to travel a long distance. The research

team used a device to collect more data for this research. This device, called the

Daily Diary, was collecting all the data of these birds’ daily routine by staying

with them. During this period, after collecting data for the flight of 250 hours,

they were also analyzed one by one. Through that device, scientists first came to

know that during this time they spend only one percent of their time on moving

the wings. In an ongoing research on a team of eight Andean condors, a bird was

also found that shook its wings only once in five hours and this time it managed

to cover a distance of one hundred miles.

This bird is known as a very skilled Pilot

research team concludes that the birds of this species are naturally very smart

pilots. Scientists were already aware about bird’s ability to fly and travel a great

distance. But how much skill they introduce in this flight is known for the first

time. A report based on the findings of his research has been published in the

National Academy of Sciences.

In order to make the wings move very less in flight, such Andean condor birds

show the efficiency of their pilots. They travel in such a way through the wind

direction that they do not have to work very hard to move forward. In this regard,

expert David Lentick of Stanford University says that this skill is surprising in

itself. He said that even after seeing the sky completely clear with open eyes of

our people, there is a lot that these birds have to face. Strong air, temperature

manipulation, hot air rise, they have to go through all these natural changes. Apart

from this, jumping over high mountains is also a big responsibility for this birds

because the atmosphere and air pressure are completely different. Therefore,

moving through the air gusts without any extra labor is a sign of a skilled pilot.

Different way to fly off and float in the air

The research team has clarified that this bird has to use wings in two ways. The

first use is that they have to flap wings to fly. After flying over the sky, they have

to move their wings to move towards their goal. Explaining the difference

between the two, scientists have given an example that this is a situation in which

in one you climb a mountain on a bicycle and in another you descend the same

mountain. There is no disturbance in both, it has to be taken care of.

Bird expert Brett Tobalski of the University of Montana says that birds of this

species also play an important role in locating corpses. Due to this responsibility,

he has to keep an eye on flying high altitude. From that great height they search

for corpse. For this, they keep going round a mountain for hours.

Circle around the mountains for hours

energy expenditure is also reduced. He conserves his remaining energy quite a lot.

The analysis showed that only one percent of their total energy is spent on

moving the wings. More energy has to be spent flapping wings before flying.

The funny incident with this research team is also due to their equipment. These

instruments were installed in such a way that after a week, they themselves would

fall apart from the body of these birds and fall down. This happened but the

device fell at a considerable height of Mount Andres. The equipment fell at some

place from where it took the research team three days to get them out.