John Jameen Research Paper

BIRDS

FLYING MACHINES

ONE SPRING DAY IN 1804, WHEN THE GREAT PAINTER AND NATURALIST JOHN JAMES AUDUBON WAS A TEENAGER, HE SPEID A PAIR OF PHOEBES NEAR HIS HOME IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE BIRDS WERE BUILDING A NEST ON A ROCKY LEDGE. LATER, AFTER THE EGGS IN THE NEST HATCHED, AUDUBON WACHETD THE PHOEBES DART THRUGH THE AIRE CATCHING INSECTS TO FEED THE HUNGRY BABIES. THE YOUNG BIRDS GREW FAST AND IN A WEEKS WERE READY TO FLY. THEY SPREAD THIER WINGS, FLAPPED, AND FLEW A SHORT DISTANCE. AUDUBON WAS AMAZED AT HOW QUICKLY THEY BECAME EXPERTS, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD NEVER FLOWN BEFORE.

ALMOST ALL BIRDS CAN FLY. FLYING HELPS BIRDS FIND FOOD, REACH SAFE PLACES FOR BULDING NEST, ESCAPE FROME PREDATORS ON THE GROUND, AND TRAVEL EASILY OVER LONG DISTANCES. IT HELPS THEM TO SURVIVE.

DESIGNED FOR FLIGHT
BIRDS NEED WINGS TO FLY.
LOOK AT A BIRD'S WING FROME THE SIDE. IT HAS A THICK FRONT EDGE AND A DOWNWARD CURVE TOWARD THE BACK. THE DISTANCE OVER THE TOP IS GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE ACROSS THE BOTTOM. WHEN A BIRD MOVES THROUGH THE SKY, THE AIR AT THE FRONT OF THE WING SEPARATE AS IT FLOWS OVER THE WING'S SURFACE. THE AIR TRAVELYNG OVER THE TOP GOES FASTER THAN IT DOES ACROSS THE BOTTOM. THAT'S BECAUSE IT MUST GO A LONGER DISTANCE IN THE IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME. THE DIFFFERENCE IN AIRSPEED CAUSES A DIFFERENCE IN AIR PRESURE. THIS PULLS THE WING AT THE TOP, PUSHES IT FROME BELOW, AND CREATES A FORCE CALLED LIFT. IS WHAT KEEPS A BIRD UP IN THE AIR WHILE IT IS
FLYING.

WINGS

A BIRD'S WINGS ARE ITS ARMS. THE LONGEST WING FEATHERTS, CALLED PRIMARIES, ARE ON THE "HANDS". THESE PROVIDE THE POWER FOR FLIGHT AS THE BIRD MOVES ITS WING DOWN IN THE AIR. THE SECONDARY FEATHERS ARE ON THE FOREARM AND GIVE THE WING ITS CURVED SHAPE. THE SHORTER TERTIARY FEATHERS ARE AND THE UPPER ARM AND HELP MAKE A SMOOTH CONNECTION BETWEEN THE WING AND BODY. ROWS OF SHORT COVERT FEATHERS GOI ACROSS THE TOP OF THE WING AND GIVE IT A CURVE EDGE.

THE BONES INSIDE THE WINGS ARE ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE IN YOUR ARM AND HAND. IN THE BIRD'S HAND, THOUGH, THE FIHGER BONES ARE CONNECTED. THIS HELPS MAKE THE END OF THE WING STRONG. THE THUMB BONE AT THE FRONT OF THE WING IS CALLED THE ALULA. FEARTHERS ATTACHED TO THE ALULA HELP DIRECT THE AIRFLOW ACROSS THE WING SO THE BIRD DOES NOT STALL, OR FALL, WHEN IT FLIES SLOWLY.

A WING FOR EVERY PURPOSE

EACH KIND OF BIRD HAS WINGS THAT ARE BEST FOR ITS WAY OF LIFE. BIRDS THAT SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME ON THE GROUND OFTEN HAVE SHORT, ROUNDED WINGS. THIS SHAPE IS GOOD FOR DARTING AND TURNING QUICKLY. A GROUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, USES ITS POWERFUL WINGS TO FLY UP QUICKLY WHEN DANGER IS NEAR. FAST-FLYING BIRDS USUALLY HAVE LONG, POINTED WINGS. THIS SHAPE IS BUILT FOR SPEED. SWALLOWS AND SWIFTS FLAP THEIR LONG WINGS AS THEY CHAS INSECTS IN THE AIR. SOARING BIRDS HAVE LARGE WINGS FOR MAXIMUM LIFT. BIRDS THAT SOAR OVER THE SEA, SUCH AS ALBATROSSES, USUALLY HAVE LONG, NARROW WINGS THAT ARE GOOD FOR RIDING WITH THE WIND. BIRDS THAT SOAR MOR SLOWLY OVER LAND, SUCH AS HAWKS, HAVE A LARGE, WIDE WINGS THAT ARE BETTER FOR CATCHING GENTLE BREEZES.