Quck answer
Scientists have discovered that the common swift, a tiny bird found in Europe, Asia, and Africa, can fly for up to 10 months without landing. The bird spends most of its life in the air, even mating and sleeping while flying. It is able to survive without rest by eating and drinking while in flight, and its wings are specially adapted for long flights. The discovery sheds light on the incredible abilities of these small birds and may have implications for future technology in aviation.
Wild Animals
The common swift (Apus apus) can fly for 10 months without landing, according to biologists at Lund University in Sweden. Using a new type of data logger, researchers discovered that while some birds might land briefly, most remain airborne for their entire 10-month migration period, landing only for their two-month breeding season. The study, published in the journal Current Biology, found that a ten-month flight phase is the longest known of any bird species. Many birds can fly long distances, with the wandering albatross able to travel 10,000 miles without flapping its wings, and hummingbirds able to fly 29 million times the length of their own body without stopping.
The common swift’s flight requires almost constant wing-flapping, making its migratory habits even more of a mystery than that of a soaring bird like the albatross. Researchers do not yet know when the swifts sleep, if they sleep, how they manage to eat enough to stay active for so long, or why some birds land occasionally while others don’t. The researchers found that the birds that never landed had molted all of their flight feathers and grown new ones, whereas those that landed occasionally didn’t molt their wing feathers. However, even the birds that rested stayed on the wing 99.5% of the time during the 10-month period.
The researchers believe that differences in molting behaviour could indicate small differences in the birds’ general condition or burden of parasites, which could explain the flight behaviour of individual birds within the species.
Humans lack the kind of endurance shown by some animals, and the researchers suggest that the next time people have a hard time getting to the gym, they should be grateful they are not a common swift exercising endlessly for nearly an entire year.
Now That’s Interesting
Although the common swift can fly for a long period, hummingbirds can fly backwards.
FAQ
1. What species of bird can fly for 10 months without landing?
The species of bird that can fly for 10 months without landing is the common swift.
2. How do biologists know that the common swift can fly for 10 months without landing?
Biologists used tiny tracking devices to follow the migration patterns of common swifts. They found that some of these birds stayed in the air for up to 10 months, without ever landing.
3. How do common swifts survive without landing for so long?
Common swifts have adapted to survive without landing for long periods of time. They eat, drink, and even mate while flying. They also have a special ability to sleep while flying, keeping one half of their brain awake at a time.
4. Why do common swifts stay in the air for so long?
Common swifts stay in the air for so long because it is part of their migration pattern. They travel from Europe to Africa and back again each year, and spend most of their time in the air.
5. How fast can common swifts fly?
Common swifts can fly at speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour.
6. How far can common swifts fly without stopping?
Common swifts can fly for thousands of kilometers without stopping. Some have been known to travel up to 14,000 kilometers in a single journey.
7. How do common swifts navigate while flying?
Common swifts use a variety of methods to navigate while flying, including the position of the sun and stars, magnetic fields, and visual landmarks.
8. How long do common swifts live?
Common swifts can live for up to 20 years.
9. Are common swifts endangered?
Common swifts are not currently considered endangered. However, their populations have been declining in some areas due to loss of habitat and changes in climate.
10. Why is it important to study the migration patterns of birds like the common swift?
Studying the migration patterns of birds like the common swift can help us better understand the impact of climate change on wildlife. It can also help us develop conservation strategies to protect these birds and their habitats.
Leave a Reply