Aerodynamics and ecology of animal flight and movement

Birds are the ultimate flying machines of amazing capacity, and some species forgo making landfall altogether and remain airborne for up to 10 months. I will investigate what determines the diversity of flight and migration strategies.

Using a wind tunnel, measurements of flight metabolic rate and aerodynamic power output will test the power-speed and flight range equations, both fundamental inroads to optimal migration theory.

Several species of different sizes and individuals with different fuel loads will answer long-standing questions about energy conversion efficiency. Novel isotope techniques and flow visualization give flight metabolism and aerodynamic work.

Predictions on optimal migration strategies, duly revised based on wind tunnel data, will be tested on particularly interesting species by deploying novel multi-sensor data loggers (MDLs). I will clarify how the moon cycle drives timing of migration in nightjars and its consequences for annual cycle.

A special focus is the energetics of swift flight allowing a complete non-breeding aerial life.

Wind tunnel experiments are carried out from August-December (years 1-4), involving myself, a technician and a PhD student. Field studies to deploy MDLs are carried out in April-July by postdocs and a PhD student (years 1-3).

This proposal will deliver new theoretical tools by which migration performance can be analysed and understood, and I anticipate a great impact in the rapidly increasing movement ecology community.