Avian Wall Walking: The Physics Behind Birds' Ability to Run Up Walls

  • Thread starter Thread starter bcrowell
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
Birds like turkeys and quail are precocial, meaning they are well-developed at birth and can run, though they cannot fly. They exhibit remarkable abilities to ascend steep surfaces, including vertical tree trunks, by using their wings to generate increased normal force, similar to a racing car's spoiler. Some participants in the discussion suggest that birds possess an innate mechanism that inversely utilizes gravity to aid their movement. This unique adaptation allows them to maintain balance while flapping their wings. The conversation highlights the fascinating intersection of physics and biology in avian locomotion.
bcrowell
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Insights Author
Messages
6,723
Reaction score
431
I spend a lot of time teaching physics to biology majors, so I'm always happy to come across a good biology application. This one seems destined to be a classic for textbooks:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/science/04birds.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=bird dial&st=cse

Birds such a turkeys and quail are born well developed rather than being totally dependent on their parents like most chicks. They can't fly yet, but they can run, and they can run up steep slopes. The adults can run up vertical tree trunks, or even overhangs at angles of as much as 105 degrees! They way they do it is by flapping their wings to produce an increased normal force. It's analogous to the spoiler on a racing car.

Cool!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Nope.
Birds have an inbuilt gravity inversion generator. They make gravity work beneficially for them (i.e, upwards), and keeps the balance by wing-flapping (reinstituting direction of local gravity).

Quite amazing, agreed? :smile:
 

Thread 'The Effect of Linear and Rotational Motion on Measured Weight'

Consider an extremely long and perfectly calibrated scale. A car with a mass of 1000 kg is placed on it, and the scale registers this weight accurately. Now, suppose the car begins to move, reaching very high speeds. Neglecting air resistance and rolling friction, if the car attains, for example, a velocity of 500 km/h, will the scale still indicate a weight corresponding to 1000 kg, or will the measured value decrease as a result of the motion? In a second scenario, imagine a person with a...
View full post »

Thread 'Coulomb gauge implies instantaneous radial electric field?'

Scalar and vector potentials in Coulomb gauge Assume Coulomb gauge so that $$\nabla \cdot \mathbf{A}=0.\tag{1}$$ The scalar potential ##\phi## is described by Poisson's equation $$\nabla^2 \phi = -\frac{\rho}{\varepsilon_0}\tag{2}$$ which has the instantaneous general solution given by $$\phi(\mathbf{r},t)=\frac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0}\int \frac{\rho(\mathbf{r}',t)}{|\mathbf{r}-\mathbf{r}'|}d^3r'.\tag{3}$$ In Coulomb gauge the vector potential ##\mathbf{A}## is given by...
View full post »
Thread 'Griffith, Electrodynamics, 4th Edition, Example 4.8. (First part)'

Thread 'Griffith, Electrodynamics, 4th Edition, Example 4.8. (First part)'

I am reading the Griffith, Electrodynamics book, 4th edition, Example 4.8 and stuck at some statements. It's little bit confused. > Example 4.8. Suppose the entire region below the plane ##z=0## in Fig. 4.28 is filled with uniform linear dielectric material of susceptibility ##\chi_e##. Calculate the force on a point charge ##q## situated a distance ##d## above the origin. Solution : The surface bound charge on the ##xy## plane is of opposite sign to ##q##, so the force will be...
View full post »

Similar threads

NYT review of How the hippies saved physics
Replies
22
Views
5K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top