The wind beneath their wings: Albatrosses fine-tuned to wind conditions


Date:
June 19, 2020
Source:
University of Liverpool
Summary:
A new study of albatrosses has found that wind plays a bigger role
in their decision to take flight than previously thought, and due
to their differences in body size, males and females differ in
their response to wind.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new study of albatrosses has found that wind plays a bigger role in
their decision to take flight than previously thought, and due to their differences in body size, males and females differ in their response
to wind.


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With a wingspan of over three meters -- the largest of any bird
alive today - - the wandering albatross can fly thousands of miles,
even around the world, gliding for long periods in search of fish or
squid. Birds search for prey in flight and capture it after landing on
the sea surface. Due to their long wings, taking off from the sea surface
is by far their most energetically demanding activity, requiring four
times more energy than gliding flight.

Now, research by University of Liverpool scientists published in the
Journal of Animal Ecology, sheds new light on the previously neglected
role of wind in the flight decisions of seabirds.

Using GPS loggers, researchers tracked the flight patterns of over 300 albatrosses from two major populations in the Southern Ocean, one of
the windiest areas on the planet.

By combining tracking data with computer modelling, they found that the seabirds wait on the sea surface for winds to pick up before attempting
to fly again. They also found that males, which are 20% bigger than
females, wait for stronger winds to help them take off from the ocean
surface and sustain their flight.

University of Liverpool seabird ecologist and lead author of the study,
Dr Tommy Clay, said: "Albatrosses are the oceans' great voyagers and
are well- known for their ability to glide on winds with barely a flap
of their wings.



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"Our study reveals that albatross behaviour is fine-tuned to the winds
they encounter. In order to save energy, birds rely on strong winds for take-off, males more so than females.

"Ongoing changes to wind patterns as a result of climate change may
pose different risks to males and females. In recent years, increases in
wind speeds have led to higher breeding success, but as winds become less predictable, birds may be unable to adapt." Changing wind patterns around Antarctica have seen reductions in wind speeds in more northerly areas,
where females are more likely to feed, and increases in southerly areas,
where males are more common, which could affect how far they can travel
to find food and their body condition.

These changes are more likely to benefit males. However, more research
is needed to determine the long-term effects on populations.

The fieldwork was conducted over a seven year period in the remote sub- Antarctic islands of South Georgia in the south-west Atlantic Ocean and
Crozet in the south-west Indian Ocean.

The analysis was led by researchers at the University of Liverpool in collaboration with an international and highly interdisciplinary team.

This involved researchers at the University of Florida (USA), Centre
National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, France), British Antarctic
Survey (UK), Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute and Delft
University of Technology (Netherlands), and Stellenbosch University (South Africa). The project was funded by the Human Frontiers Research Program.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Liverpool. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Thomas A. Clay, Roci'o Joo, Henri Weimerskirch, Richard A. Phillips,
Olivier Ouden, Mathieu Basille, Susana Clusella‐Trullas,
Jelle D.

Assink, Samantha C. Patrick. Sex‐specific effects of wind on
the flight decisions of a sexually dimorphic soaring bird. Journal
of Animal Ecology, 2020; DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13267 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200619104308.htm

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