why do birds fly into the wind?

Question

its amazing when you see birds flying into the wind

Answer 1

They fly all directions, which direction did you want them to fly?

We do the same at airports. We want to launch the plane into the wind because the extra wind speed of air crossing the wings gives more lift to the plane. Part of the inspiration (a really major part) for the shape of wings originally was from birds. The early tale of Icarus had wings with feathers on them to be as much like birds as possible. While the feathers have some important aspects pertinent to flight, the shape and action of air across the bird's wings is the primary ingredient. Instead of fans, as our propellors are, bird fan the air more like we would use a handfan to cool ourselves when the air is hot and stuffy. Birds, being much lighter, don't require as much mechanical energy as our flying machines do. Still, the leading edges of their wings are slightly thicker than the trailing edges and the birds tilt their wings so as to minimize the mechanical drag of their upswings, something that early mechanical flapping machines failed to do. This maximizes the amount of low-pressure/high-pressure differential caused by the air flowing over and under the wing as it moves. The air stream, being blowing wind or displaced air because of the mechanical action of the wings, generates low pressure above a wing when the same volume of air that moves under the wing has to travel a longer distance over the wing because of the wing's shape and movement action. When a bird is flying into the wind they sometimes don't have to flap quite so hard because the wind is building lift all by itself. They still hae to propell themselves forward to make progress (or else they are just like leaves blowing in the wind), which happens when they flap and fan the air behind them. We do a similar thing in swimming, but the geometry and propulsive effort is a tad bit different (good swimmers use their feet to kick as much or more than arms to pull then shove water behind them).

Also, the winds are different at different elevations. Just as baloonists can sometimes travel seemingly against the wind by rising or falling until they catch a current going the direction they want, birds can rise or lower themselves to catch helpful breezes. Sometimes the wind seems to be blowing really strong at the surface and the bird is casually floating along in a different direction, with only an occassional flap of its wings. Some of the air we feel may be drafting upward and the bird is simply floating n that cushion of air. In this case, the wings are acting more like that of a kite or the leaf in the wind. Again the shape of the wing, with its forward-placed bone is generating a little upward lift, but most of the lift is the kite action below, so if the bird adjusts its wings just a little, letting more air slip past the trailing edges of its wings, that pushes the bird forward, just like a sail. Then too, the bird could start to decend, like a glider, to the next upwelling of air, which raises it to a height where it starts gliding. The angle of the wing then directs the bird in the upwelling air and in the gliding fall. In all of that it takes an almost imperceptible tilt to move from one mode to the other.

It is fascinating to watch, whether swimming into the wind or coasting on it.

Answer 2

Taking off into the wind means you already have some airspeed, so it takes less energy to take off. Landing into the wind means your groundspeed is slower, so it's easier to land than if you tried it with a tailwind. Once they're airborne, birds can fly any ol' direction they choose to. There comes a point where the windspeed is greater than a bird's ability to penetrate that wind, so at that point they're standing still relative to the ground, or going backwards. I think a lot of answers here are confusing ridge lift with wind, though. Birds can soar (fly and not flap their wings) by sliding along the uplifting air in front of a cliff, for example, or a bubble of warm air that's rising (you see a hawk circling and rising, not flapping its wings at all, that hawk just cored a thermal). It's not flying "into" the wind so much that gives you lift - it's what the air's doing, and in the bird's case, what its wings are doing.

Answer 3

Birds can fly for a number of physiological reasons, but in regard to the question, the wing is designed so that air moves faster over it than under it. This creates a pressure difference which causes lift. Flying into the wind maximises wind speed while minimising muscle effort and thus lift is gained with least energy expenditure.
They also utilise a head wind to land on a branch or catch food. As they slow down, they tilt their wings creating drag, judging it correctly will let them come to a complete halt by wing action alone exactly on the branch they aimed at. Headwind allows subtle adjustment of wing position to account for variation in wind strength. Tail winds cannot be controlled by wings designed for forward air flow.

Answer 4

They do it to create greater lift for expending less energy. According to the principles of flight and the way a wing is shaped for example on a plane, air moves faster over the longer surface (the top of the wing) than the bottom. And this creaates a pressure difference difference, where there is lower pressure on top; and this is what causes things to fly.

Now, imagine that a plane or bird is flying into the wind; the wind is already passing over the wings at a certain speed, and all it has to do is use a little more energy to get up to the right speed for flying.

hope this helps

Answer 5

Last month, I had a young female cardinal pecking against my glass door. She thought she saw another one in her territory and was trying to battle her. It stopped in a week. Birds don't understand technology, even if it's called manufactured clear glass. Yea, do the stickers thing. Or hang an plastic owl (@$10) above the eve of the window. Be too scared of the owl to worry about what it thinks it sees in the window.

Answer 6

because the airflow over their wings gives them lift without any effort.It's hard work creating lift,that's why jet aircraft have their engines on full throttle for take off.Birds sometimes even stay still in the air in a very strong wind,but as it's not causing them any effort,I suppose it's a good chance to have a look around for free!.

Answer 7

The wind gives them lift without them having to exert energy so they turn into the wind and gain altitude without having to flap there wings. Once at the required height they turn and glide to where they want to saving valuble energy.

Answer 8

in order to achieve lift, same reason why planes (and birds) take off into the wind.

Answer 9

actually theyre wrong. it takes birds more energy to fly slow than it does fast.]
i just studied it in school.

Answer 10

to create lift. in situations like that all they need to do is tilt their wings in order to achieve lift. an idiot bird would waste their energy flapping their wings in order to do the same. thing.