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Mechanical power output of bird flight

Nature volume 390, pages 67–70 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

Aerodynamic theory predicts that the power required for an animal to fly over a range of speeds is represented by a ‘U’-shaped curve, with the greatest power required at the slowest and fastest speeds, and minimum power at an intermediate speed1,2,3,4,5,6. Tests of these predictions, based on oxygen consumption measurements of metabolic power in birds7,8,9,10,11,12 and insects13, support a different interpretation, generating either flat or ‘J’-shaped power profiles, implying little additional demand between hovering and intermediate flight speeds14. However, respirometric techniques represent only an indirect assessment of the mechanical power requirements of flight and no previous avian study has investigated an animal's full range of attainable level flight speeds. Here we present data from in vivo bone-strain measurements of pectoralis muscle force coupled with wing kinematics in black-billed magpies (Pica pica ), which we use to calculate mechanical power directly. As these birds flew over their full range of speeds, we offer a complete profile of mechanical power output during level flapping flight for this species. Values of mechanical power output are statistically indistinguishable (that is, the power curve is flat) over most forward-flight speeds but are significantly higher during hovering and flight at very low speeds.

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Figure 1: a, Illustration of a magpie pectoral girdle and forelimb showing the placement of a strain gauge on the delto-pectoral crest (DPC; expanded in inset) and indwelling bipolar electromyographic (EMG) wires in the pectoralis muscle, all connected to a dorsal plug.
Figure 2: a, Mean pectoralis force output (±se.; n = 12 per flight speed, except n = 3 for hovering flight) generated by magpie 3 during the downstroke, recorded for speeds ranging from hovering flight (0 m s−1) to a maximum observed speed of 14 m s−1, at intervals of 2 m s−1.
Figure 3: a, Summary of the mean total mechanical power output measured for all three magpies as a function of flight speed.

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Acknowledgements

We thank F. A. Jenkins Jr for his thoughtful input on previous drafts of this manuscript; M. LaBarbera, J. M. Marzluff, D. Fawcett and D. F. Boggs for their comments; and J. Gilpin for making the force-transducer used to calibrate the DPC strain recordings. Supported by grants from the NSF to K.P.D. and A.A.B.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, 59812, Montana, USA

    K. P. Dial, B. W. Tobalske & D. R. Warrick

  2. Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, 1025 East 57 Street, Chicago, 60637, Illinois, USA

    A. A. Biewener

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  1. K. P. Dial
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  2. A. A. Biewener
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Correspondence to K. P. Dial.

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Dial, K., Biewener, A., Tobalske, B. et al. Mechanical power output of bird flight. Nature 390, 67–70 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/36330

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