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Winging It
Ask, Sep 2006 by Hunst, Mary Jo
A young bird that tries flying too soon could find itself in big trouble. After all, it's a long drop from a nest to the hard ground! So how do birds know when they're ready to take their first flight?
To answer that question, scientists observed small birds called swifts. Like most young animals, swift nestlings are chubby-the extra weight stores extra energy in case food becomes scarce. But since it's hard to fly if you are too heavy, the birds trim down as they prepare to leave the nest. They even seem to test their weight by flapping their wings and doing what look like little "push-ups" on their wingtips.
Those push-ups intrigued scientists. Were swifts really checking their weight? To see, the researchers attached tiny weights to some of the birds (making them heavier) and trimmed a few wing feathers from others (making their wings smaller and not able to support as much weight). The swifts responded by adjusting their diet to lose the extra weight. They continued to test their weight with push-ups until they achieved their target flight weight.
Then they took the big leap and flew perfectly.
-Mary Jo Hunst
Copyright Carus Publishing Company Sep 2006
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
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