Flight speeds of swifts ( Apus apus): seasonal differences smaller than expected
We have studied the nocturnal flight behaviour of the common swift ( Apus apus L.), by the use of a tracking radar. Birds were tracked from Lund University in southern Sweden during spring migration, summer roosting flights and autumn migration. Flight speeds were compared with predictions from flig...
Published in: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.0195 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2009.0195 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2009.0195 |
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crroyalsociety:10.1098/rspb.2009.0195 2024-09-15T17:49:28+00:00 Flight speeds of swifts ( Apus apus): seasonal differences smaller than expected Henningsson, P. Karlsson, H. Bäckman, J. Alerstam, T. Hedenström, A. 2009 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.0195 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2009.0195 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2009.0195 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 276, issue 1666, page 2395-2401 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 journal-article 2009 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.0195 2024-09-02T04:21:08Z We have studied the nocturnal flight behaviour of the common swift ( Apus apus L.), by the use of a tracking radar. Birds were tracked from Lund University in southern Sweden during spring migration, summer roosting flights and autumn migration. Flight speeds were compared with predictions from flight mechanical and optimal migration theories. During spring, flight speeds were predicted to be higher than during both summer and autumn due to time restriction. In such cases, birds fly at a flight speed that maximizes the overall speed of migration. For summer roosting flights, speeds were predicted to be lower than during both spring and autumn since the predicted flight speed is the minimum power speed that involves the lowest energy consumption per unit time. During autumn, we expected flight speeds to be higher than during summer but lower than during spring since the expected flight speed is the maximum range speed, which involves the lowest energy consumption per unit distance. Flight speeds during spring were indeed higher than during both summer and autumn, which indicates time-selected spring migration. Speeds during autumn migration were very similar to those recorded during summer roosting flights. The general result shows that swifts change their flight speed between different flight behaviours to a smaller extent than expected. Furthermore, the difference between flight speeds during migration and roosting among swifts was found to be less pronounced than previously recorded. Article in Journal/Newspaper Apus apus The Royal Society Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 276 1666 2395 2401 |
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Open Polar |
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The Royal Society |
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crroyalsociety |
language |
English |
description |
We have studied the nocturnal flight behaviour of the common swift ( Apus apus L.), by the use of a tracking radar. Birds were tracked from Lund University in southern Sweden during spring migration, summer roosting flights and autumn migration. Flight speeds were compared with predictions from flight mechanical and optimal migration theories. During spring, flight speeds were predicted to be higher than during both summer and autumn due to time restriction. In such cases, birds fly at a flight speed that maximizes the overall speed of migration. For summer roosting flights, speeds were predicted to be lower than during both spring and autumn since the predicted flight speed is the minimum power speed that involves the lowest energy consumption per unit time. During autumn, we expected flight speeds to be higher than during summer but lower than during spring since the expected flight speed is the maximum range speed, which involves the lowest energy consumption per unit distance. Flight speeds during spring were indeed higher than during both summer and autumn, which indicates time-selected spring migration. Speeds during autumn migration were very similar to those recorded during summer roosting flights. The general result shows that swifts change their flight speed between different flight behaviours to a smaller extent than expected. Furthermore, the difference between flight speeds during migration and roosting among swifts was found to be less pronounced than previously recorded. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Henningsson, P. Karlsson, H. Bäckman, J. Alerstam, T. Hedenström, A. |
spellingShingle |
Henningsson, P. Karlsson, H. Bäckman, J. Alerstam, T. Hedenström, A. Flight speeds of swifts ( Apus apus): seasonal differences smaller than expected |
author_facet |
Henningsson, P. Karlsson, H. Bäckman, J. Alerstam, T. Hedenström, A. |
author_sort |
Henningsson, P. |
title |
Flight speeds of swifts ( Apus apus): seasonal differences smaller than expected |
title_short |
Flight speeds of swifts ( Apus apus): seasonal differences smaller than expected |
title_full |
Flight speeds of swifts ( Apus apus): seasonal differences smaller than expected |
title_fullStr |
Flight speeds of swifts ( Apus apus): seasonal differences smaller than expected |
title_full_unstemmed |
Flight speeds of swifts ( Apus apus): seasonal differences smaller than expected |
title_sort |
flight speeds of swifts ( apus apus): seasonal differences smaller than expected |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.0195 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2009.0195 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2009.0195 |
genre |
Apus apus |
genre_facet |
Apus apus |
op_source |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 276, issue 1666, page 2395-2401 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 |
op_rights |
https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2009.0195 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
276 |
container_issue |
1666 |
container_start_page |
2395 |
op_container_end_page |
2401 |
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1810291217575968768 |