What provides the lift for birds while not flapping their wings?

Question

I am not sure if they have a foil shaped wing or if there was some other mechanism which helped them stay aloft.

Answer 1

In some species it is their tail, for example, "the distinctive forked tail of the American swallow-tailed kite (Elanoides forficatus) provides extra lift as the bird flies at slow speeds capturing insects. The fact that birds have jointed wings also allows them to gain lift."


Birds also have another way of getting lift...The bird can make "slots". Birds can move their feathers at their wing tips to produce slots,and this gains them lift."

Canada geese flying in a "v" formation gain lift because of the spacing they assume relative to other birds they are flying with.However, "Observations of actual flights, however, show that geese are seldom in optimum position for maximizing lift."

Hummingbirds are unique in that figure-8 motion of a hummingbirds wings, provides lift in both directions. (http://www.hummingbirds.net/about.html)

Answer 2

Well it depends on the birds: different birds have different wings.

Some wings like vultures are wide enough with their foil wings that the difference between gravity and lift is so miniscule that they soar while slowly descending.

Other wings like an eagle's have special feather arrangements that help increase lift.

Most soaring birds though use thermal winds to stay aloft.

Answer 3

The force of wind moving across the upper and lower surfaces of the wings.The current has a longer path over the upper surface compared to the bottom. This generate a lowering of pressure above the bird, drawing it upward. Thermal updrafts can aid the bird in more rapidly climbing to a higher altitude. Flapping is mostly for forward thrust and navigation. In very windy conditions the wings can be adjusted to allow the bird to hover without considerable change in location.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

vaughndhume had it right. If you want to see it for yourself, hold a piece of paper by one edge and let it sag down away from you. Then genlty blow over the surface of the paper. As you blow, the air pressure decreases on top of the paper and the unchanged pressure underneath will lift the paper. If you blow hard enough, it will lift up to the horizontal position. A raptor's wing is one of the most perfect shapes for getting lift from a gentle breeze, especially over thermals which are rising columns of hot air usually found over cleared land on a sunny day.

Answer 6

Lift is not caused by flapping, it is caused by air pressure difference between the top of the wing and the bottom of the wing. Otherwise airplanes would have to have flapping wings to take off.

Answer 7

Wind currents amagine a bag blowing in the wind why does it blow
wind is inside acting on it by pushing it up or down depending on the amount of wind now the biger the bag(wings) the longer it can go with out landing o and with out feathers they would be flapin alot longer :)

awnser with out story air current feathers

Answer 8

i saw gooney birds (albatross) on midway island stay in the air indefintently withouteven one flap--as long as they stay pointed into a strong wind & kep their angle just right-they are incredible while in flight, but a total disaster when they try to land-watch a hawk sometime while they're hunting & they will catch thermals & fly without flapping

Answer 9

They have a have a foil shaped wing - thicker front, thin back edge, curved structure.

Answer 10

air resistance. a birds wing forces air coming towards it to be redirected downwards. it is the same principle as a gliders (airplane) wing