These amazing birds in flight

The Vulture bird flies the highest; it can rise to a height of up to 10,000 meters; this bird has been spotted more than once in collisions with airplanes. The vulture is famous not only for its flight height, but also for its size. The length of its body can reach up to 1 meter

This bird is called a vulture. There is such a known case that a passenger plane at an altitude of 11,300 meters above the Earth met this bird flying as if nothing had happened. Eagles, condors and cranes also fly quite high above the ground.

The highest flying birds are vultures - vultures, condors, vultures and whooper swans, which were spotted at an altitude of 8230 m.

one of the vultures was observed at an altitude of 11,275 meters above sea level,

but the absolute record holder is an inhabitant of the Vulture Mountains: on November 29, 1973, a Vulture vulture, flying over Cote d'Ivoire, collided with a passenger plane at an altitude of 11,277 m

The vulture bird can rise high into the sky, it manages to fly to a height of a little more than 11 thousand meters, cranes also fly high, black swifts rise to three thousand kilometers, gray geese. There are many birds that fly high.

It is believed that vultures fly the highest. The record for flight altitude still remains with the African vulture. An incident was recorded when this bird collided with an airplane at an altitude of over 11 thousand meters.

The highest flying bird is the Whooper Swan. It was spotted at an altitude of over 8200 meters. But there was also another small but proud bird. She said: And I will fly to the sun itself! And the bird flew higher and higher until it burned its wings and fell to the very bottom, the deepest gorge! But no one knows the name of this bird.

In general, I read that birds such as cranes, vultures and vultures fly high.

To date, the maximum height has been recorded for such a bird as the vulture. The maximum height of the floor is more than 11 thousand meters, to be precise, 11300).

In the history of aviation, there is a known case of a collision between a plane in the sky over Abidjan and a vulture at an altitude of 11,300 meters. This happened in November 1973. In general, the crane of the Gruidae family is considered the highest flying bird.

They say that vultures really fly the highest

At the same time, I once watched a program about birds

So they seemed to say that eagles can fly very high.

Birds usually do not rise above 10 thousand meters.

They just don't need it. Birds with powerful wings fly high.

The vast majority of birds do not rise above 1000 or 1500 meters. But there are exceptions; some of the most famous high-flying birds are: bar-headed goose, whooper swan, greylag goose, mallard, plover, golden eagle, black swift, Andean condor and white stork. However, the record holders for the height of the floor are vultures, or rather the African vulture. Scientists have recorded their flights at an altitude of more than 12 thousand meters!



An unusually interesting question! And the answers are, in principle, correct. However, before I contribute, let's figure out how at such a huge altitude, more than 10,000 meters, birds manage to breathe. After all, for example, most people experience oxygen starvation after rising only 2 kilometers above sea level.

It turns out everything is quite simple! Moreover, nature has provided for everything! Thanks to the unique respiratory system of our feathered friends, with their air sacs, birds here extract even more oxygen from the air than on earth!

As for the direct answer to the question, in addition to the above, one of the record holders for high-altitude flights are Indian geese. As ornithologists say, these amazing birds can easily cope with flying across the Himalayas, the average height of which is 6 km, and the maximum height is 8848 (Mount Everest). However, the true champions, rather unpleasant representatives of the class of birds, are African vultures, from the genus of vultures. In 1975, one of these scavengers managed to climb to a height of 11,500 meters, and found himself in the path of a plane flying over the Ivory Coast.

Largest ratites
Ostrich It has been recorded that the height of male African ostrich (Struthio c. camelus) can reach 2 m 74 cm.
The highest flying (keel) birds
Crane The tallest flying birds are cranes, wading birds of the order Gruidae. The height of some of them reaches almost 2 m.
The smallest
hummingbird bee Males of the bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), living in Cuba and on the island. Pinos weigh 1.6 g and are 5.7 cm long. Half the length is the tail and beak. Females are somewhat larger.

Baby Falcon The smallest birds of prey are the black-footed falcon (Microhierax fringillarius) from South-East Asia and white-breasted shrike (M. latifrons) from the northwestern part of the island. Borneo. Average length The body length of both species is 14-15 cm, including a 5 cm long tail, and the weight is about 35 g.

The largest prehistoric birds
Dromomis stirtoni Fossil leg bones found in 1974 near Alice Springs indicate that the flightless Dromomis stirtoni, a giant ostrich-like bird that lived in central Australia from about 15 million to 25,000 years ago, reached a height of 3 m and weighed about 500 kg.
Moa The giant moa bird (Dinornis maximus), which lived in New Zealand, was probably even greater in height - 3.7 m, and weighed about 230 kg.
Teratorn The largest of the prehistoric flying birds is considered to be the giant teratorn (Argentavis magnificens), which lived on the territory of modern Argentina about 6-8 million years ago. Fossils found in 1979 indicate that this huge vulture-like bird had a wingspan of more than 6 m, a height of 7.6 m, and a weight of 80 kg.


(Perhaps it was thanks to him that the myths about the Roc bird, whose wings covered the Sun, appeared)

Flight
The most flying bird
Black swift The black swift (Apus apus) can stay in the air for 2-4 years. During all this time, he sleeps, drinks, eats and even mates on the fly. A young swift that takes flight probably flies 500,000 km before landing for the first time.
(Apparently because of this, there are almost no photographs of him on the Internet, and those that exist are rather inconspicuous)
Longest flight
Common tern The Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) left its lakeside nest in Finland around 15 August 1996 and was captured on 24 January 1997 near the lakes in Gippsland, NY. Victoria, Australia. She flew 25,750 km.
The slowest flying bird
Woodcock During mating games, the flight speed of American woodcock (Scolopax minor) and woodcock S. rusticola was recorded. They were kept in the air at a speed of 8 km/h.
The heaviest flying bird
Bustard The heaviest flying birds are the African Great Bustard (Ardeotis kori), found in Northeast and Southern Africa, and the Great Bustard (Otis tarda), found in Europe and Asia. Bustards weighing 19 kg have been described. There is reliable evidence of an 18kg dudak, although there is anecdotal evidence of a 21kg male dudak shot in Manchuria that was too heavy to fly.


Condor The heaviest bird of prey is the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus). Males weigh on average 9-12 kg with a wingspan of 3 m or more. A male California condor (Gymnogyps califomianus), stuffed at the California Academy of Sciences in Los Angeles, USA, is said to have weighed 14.1 kg in life.


Largest wingspan
Albatross The wandering albatross (Diomedea exulas) has the largest wingspan. On September 18, 1965, the crew of the Antarctic research vessel Eltanin, owned by to the navy USA, a very old male with a wingspan of 3.63 m was caught in the Tasman Sea.


Birds that fly the highest
Sip On November 29, 1973, over Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, a vulture (Gyps ruepellii) collided with a passenger plane at an altitude of 11,277 m. The feathers remaining from the bird were enough for the American Museum natural history were able to firmly identify the type of bird.


Whooper swan On December 9, 1967, about 30 whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) were seen at an altitude of just over 8230 m. They were flying from Iceland for the winter at Lough Foyle, on the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. The plane's pilot spotted them over the Outer Hebrides and their altitude was confirmed by radar.
(I'm proud of the swans)
Fastest runner
Ostrich The African ostrich is recognized as the fastest flightless bird, which, despite its large mass, can, if necessary, reach speeds of up to 72 km/h.
Fastest flyer
Peregrine Falcon Observations seem to confirm that the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is capable of reaching top speeds of up to 200 km/h when it drops like a stone from great heights, defending its territory or hunting birds in the air.


The bird that flaps its wings the most
Hummingbird Horned hummingbird (Heliactin cornuta) found in the tropics South America, flaps its wings at a frequency of 90 beats per second.
Fastest swimmer
Penguin The Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) can swim at speeds of up to 27 km/h.
Deepest dive
Penguin The greatest diving depth among birds was recorded in 1990 in the Ross Sea, off the coast of Antarctica. One of the emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) then dived to a depth of 483 m.
Birth and life
Oldest bird
Crane Wolfe, a Siberian white crane (Crus leucogeranus) housed at the International Crane Conservation Foundation in Baraboo, NY. Wisconsin, USA, reportedly lived to be 82 years old. The bird died at the end of 1988. after she broke her beak while driving away a visitor. (no comments)
Cockatoo A male great yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) named Koki lived over 80 years and died at the London Zoo in 1982. This is the maximum age among birds, established with absolute certainty.
Goose In addition to ostriches, which sometimes live up to 68 years, the goose (Anser a. domesticus) is the longest-living poultry, usually living up to 25 years. In 1976, a gander named George died, having lived to be 49 years and 8 months old.
The biggest nest
Chicken Hatchery mounds constructed by the Australian ocellated chicken (Leipoa ocellata) reach 4.57 m in height and 10.6 m in width. It is estimated that the construction of such a nest took 250 m3 of building material weighing 300 tons.


Orlan The nest, 2.9 m wide and 6 m deep, was built by a pair of bald eagles (Haliaeeyus leucocephalus) and possibly their descendants near St. Petersburg, NY. Florida, USA. It was studied in 1963 and is estimated to weigh more than 2 tons.
Golden eagle The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) also builds huge nests. It is reported that in 1954 a nest 4.57 m deep was found in Scotland.


The smallest nest
Hummingbird The nest of a pygmy hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) is approximately 2 times smaller than the shell walnut. The nest of the bee hummingbird (M. helenae) is smaller in diameter but deeper. It is no larger than a thimble in size.
The smallest egg
Hummingbird The pygmy hummingbird (Mellisuga minima), found in Jamaica, lays the smallest eggs. The length of the smallest of them does not reach 1 cm, and the weight is only 0.365 g.
The biggest egg
Ostrich The length of an African ostrich egg is usually 15-20 cm, the diameter is 10-15 cm, and the weight is 1-1.78 kg (in volume this corresponds to approximately 2 dozen chicken eggs). And although the shell thickness is only 1.5 mm, it can support the weight of a person.
Ostrich hybrid The largest egg was laid in Israel, in Kibbutz Haon, on June 28, 1988 by a two-year-old hybrid between two subspecies of ostrich (Struthio c. Camelus x S.c. australis). It weighed 2.3 kg.
elephant bird The extinct elephant bird (Aepyomis maximus) laid eggs 33 cm long and with a capacity of 8.5 liters, which is equal to the capacity of 7 ostrich eggs.

In reviewing flight patterns, it has already been pointed out that flights over high mountain ranges are not as rare as might be expected from the variations in migration of numerous species on the borders of high elevations. By ringing and observations, in many cases it was possible to accurately prove the presence of regular, although not very intense, flight over the Alps, the Caucasus, and even over the powerful mountain ranges of the Himalayas. It should be especially emphasized that birds do not always prefer valleys and passes, but also fly over mountain ranges (for example, in the Tien Shan), at an altitude of 6000 m. In comparison with them, the heights overcome in the Alps seem insignificant (the highest altitude is 9500 m, the highest ever climbed by birds has been reached by a flock of geese over Everest. The height was accurately determined; a flock of geese was photographed from an airplane (Garrison, 1931).

Geir was the first to point out the need to distinguish between relative and absolute flight heights. Therefore, it is very important from what point the observer registers it. In what follows we will talk for the most part about relative height, i.e. about the distance from the surface of the earth, regardless of whether it is the seashore, hilly or mountainous terrain. In any case, absolute height in itself does not seem to have a significant effect on the flight altitude of birds. The same species of birds fly at the same altitude on the plain as in the mountains, unless wind and weather conditions differ significantly.

For a long time it was believed that bird flights take place mainly at high altitudes and therefore are little accessible to the human eye. It was assumed that at a great distance from the surface of the earth, flight was facilitated by air currents, as well as better orientation. According to Gaetke's data for Heligoland, the passage usually takes place at an altitude of approximately 2000 m, and in some species - even 3000 m and higher (for rooks at an altitude of approximately 4500 m!). Against these views at the beginning of the 20th century. Lucanus spoke. He conducted experiments on the visibility limits of various birds for humans, raising stuffed animals with outstretched wings on balloons. It turned out that at an altitude of 800 m the rooks looked like dots, and at an altitude of 1000 m they disappeared. For sparrowhawks, these heights were 640 and 850, respectively. m, and such large birds as the buzzard and bearded vulture, at an altitude of 1500-2000 m were barely noticeable.

Estimating the flight altitude is usually erroneous and produces exaggerated results, since there are no aids for comparison similar to those we have on the ground. The main source of errors lies in the different transparency of the air under cloudless skies, light clouds and continuous clouds. Currently, accurate data on the flight altitude of birds can be obtained using sophisticated instruments created by technology for military purposes. In cases where it is necessary to prove the presence of migratory birds at high altitudes, observations of pilots and balloonists may be useful. Such observations were collected by Weigold and Lucanus. IN last years they were supplemented by a number of observations carried out during glider flights, and some other data (still not published, but already well-known “secrets”). With the help of modern aviation measuring instruments during the Second World War, it was often possible to establish the flights of birds at high altitudes, for example, the wood pigeon at an altitude of 2500 m. To summarize, it can be stated, however, that bird flights at altitudes of more than 1000 m relatively rare. Normally, flights take place at an altitude of several hundred meters, and often, especially in small birds, below 100 m. When the weather is favorable and there is good visibility and the wind is not too strong, birds fly much higher than in low clouds, rain, fog or a stronger headwind. The stronger the wind, the lower the birds fly, using every hill, forest edges and river valleys, where the wind force is somewhat weaker. Over the sea, birds also fly mostly above the surface of the water. If possible, they avoid fog and flying in the clouds. It is rare to see migrating birds above a continuous layer of clouds, but sometimes large birds, such as geese and cranes, fly above thick clouds. It is necessary, however, to mention a recent report by Lippens (1943), which off the coast of Belgium above two layers of clouds at an altitude of 150 and 500 m, where there was a clear sky, I watched the lively flight of plovers, herons, cormorants, geese, starlings, crows, blackbirds and finches. But in general, birds, of course, strive not to lose sight of the ground when flying.

Assumptions that height makes it easier for birds to orient themselves have not been confirmed. The air is rarely so clear that birds at an altitude of more than 1000 m, could take advantage of the expanded field of view; their visual capabilities are far from limitless. In this area, our knowledge is still insufficient, and one can only assume that the vision of birds, due to the structural features of their eyes and, in particular, the retina, is less interfered with by fogs than the vision of humans. In this regard, the comparative data of Trib (1939) are significant, who drew attention to the yellow and red oily balls included in the retina of birds, the function of which is still not well understood. Trib cited improved long-range visibility at sunset, as well as good visibility of red signal lights in foggy weather. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that long-wavelength yellow and red rays penetrate the foggy atmosphere better than short-wavelength green, blue and violet rays. In this case, it makes no difference whether the area is viewed in a reddish light or in such a way that the yellow and red rays are especially effective. This is what a photographer does, for example, who, when photographing a landscape with a foggy distance, exposes a light-sensitive plate through an orange filter. If you exclude all but the longest rays in the infrared part of the spectrum, you can photograph even at a distance of hundreds of kilometers. Red-yellow balls in the eyes of birds have a similar effect. Thus, migratory birds can see the coast of Africa even in foggy weather from Sicily. However, it seems that birds navigate mainly by specific features of the landscape, rather than by the general contours of the earth's surface. If this were otherwise, then some islands would not play the role of guide lines and guide points, massive flyways would disappear, and numerous bypass routes would be shortened. However, all of these conditions exist and influence bird migration, providing proof that migration takes place, on average, at low altitude. Birds often only need to fly a little higher to find landmarks that would seem to make following guide lines unnecessary. Duncker (1905) compiled a summary of the visibility range (regardless of atmospheric conditions) from various heights. Based on formula r =ROOT2Rk = 113ROOTh the following figures were obtained.

Every day, in different parts of our planet, hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of birds rise into the sky. The wings of these creatures allow them not only to cover vast distances, but also to rise to great heights. Their unique navigation abilities still amaze many scientists, and sometimes remain the same mystery to them.

We are already accustomed to watching birds soaring high in the sky. But how high can they rise into the sky, and which birds rise higher than other birds? In most cases, they fly at an altitude of about 150 meters, but during annual migrations, some representatives are able to rise to a height of up to 3 thousand meters. But as it turned out, this is not the limit...

White stork

White stork (lat. Ciconia ciconia) is one of the most beautiful and graceful birds on the planet. This long-necked and long-legged representative of the feathered world, during long-distance flights to wintering grounds, overcomes enormous distances at an altitude of 2 to 3 thousand meters. I would like to immediately note that the wingspan white stork is 150-200 cm.

Andean condor

(lat. Vultur gryphus) is one of the largest flying birds of prey in the Western Hemisphere. In addition, the Andean condor is national symbol Latin American countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, playing a vital role in the culture of all these countries. This unique bird, living in more than harsh places of the Andes, makes flights of several kilometers every day in search of food, rising to a height of about 3-5 thousand meters.

Black swift

Black swifts (lat. Apus apus) - this small bird is also called the “mad swift” and this is not surprising, since the black swift is considered the record holder among birds for the duration of stay in the air and the second for flight speed (more than 120 km/h). In addition, the black swift is one of the highest flying birds. It rises to a height of 3000 meters.

Golden eagle

Golden eagle (lat. Aquila chrysaetos) is another large and most famous bird of prey, capable of rising to great heights. The wingspan of a golden eagle can reach two meters. This predator has excellent eyesight, so it is not difficult for it to rise to a height of 4500 meters above the ground and from there look out for its prey.

Plovers

Plovers (lat. Pluvialis) is a small but cute bird from the family of plovers (lat. Charadriidae). It can fly both at a completely low distance (almost touching the surface of the water) and at an altitude of more than 6 thousand meters. Representatives of this family are well known on the Wadden Coast (Wadden Sea).

Mallard

Mallard (lat. Anas platyrhynchos) is a bird belonging to the duck family (lat. Anatidae) and the most recognizable and widespread wild duck. However, few people know that this waterfowl is also an excellent flyer. During annual flights to their wintering grounds, these birds rise to heights of up to 6900 meters. There have been cases when ducks at such a height collided with a flying plane.

Gray geese

Gray geese (lat. Anser anser) - a representative of waterfowl. These geese settle along the shores of lakes, bolts, ponds and other bodies of water. These are very smart, strong and cautious birds. They can easily fight back even a predator, especially if it threatens their offspring. During migration, gray geese, gathered in flocks, fly in a wedge, scattered or in a line. During such a flight, birds rise to a height of up to 8 thousand meters.

Whooper swan

Whooper swan (lat. Cygnus cygnus) is a large (from 7 to 10 kg) waterfowl. In December 1967, a small flock of swans was seen flying at an altitude of 8,230 meters over Ireland. The birds' flight altitude was recorded by radar. It is worth noting that this was not the only recorded flight of screaming swans, and their ability to fly at an altitude of more than 8 thousand meters has been confirmed more than once.

mountain goose

Mountain goose (lat. Eulabeia indica) is a waterfowl nesting in the mountains of Central Asia (at an altitude of 1000 to 5000 m). According to scientists, this bird is capable of flying over the Himalayas in just 8 hours, rising to a height of 10,175 (!) meters. At the same time, they are not able to travel very long distances.

Rüppell's vulture or African vulture

Rüppel's vulture, or African vulture (lat. Gyps rueppelii) are the highest flying birds on the planet. According to scientists, it is Rüppell's vultures that most often collide with flying aircraft. The highest recorded flight altitudes of this vulture are 11,277 meters and 12,150 meters. The African vulture lives in the northern and eastern parts of the African continent.

Such flights are truly a delight. But how do birds flying at such altitudes manage to cope with rarefied air, solar radiation and low temperatures not yet known.

By logging into Google and entering “Novosibirsk”, you can see one of the suggested options for the query “Novosibirsk from a bird’s eye view”. But what does this mean? Let's try to figure out what birds we are talking about.

Tits, sparrows and other small city dwellers

These are frequently encountered city dwellers; they regularly hover under our feet in search of food, visit our feeders with pleasure, and eat lilacs, rowan trees and other shrubs within urban plantings. The city has already become a home for them; it is not only a source of food, but also a source of nesting. The attics of houses are regularly inhabited by pigeons; they feel warm and happy there. Nests are often not built from natural materials, and from small debris, threads, polyethylene, construction waste, insulated with cotton wool and glass wool sticking out of insulated windows or broken house siding. These birds, as well as other guests (wagtails, bullfinches, waxwings, nuthatches, etc.), which can be found in the urban environment, do not live at low altitudes - rising up to 10-16 floors (up to 50 meters). There is simply no point in flying higher for them, there is no food or nests there.

Tits at the feeder

Pigeons, crows, swallows and kites

Also frequent inhabitants of cities. If we see pigeons under our feet all the time, then crows are already mostly in the trees, and kites are only in the skies. Larger birds are able to fly longer distances, and to make it easier for them to fly, they soar higher. Here already we're talking about about a height of 70-100 meters and above. For comparison, the most high building in Novosibirsk - Kommunisticheskaya 50 (Batman) has a height of 87.9 meters.

Kite soaring in the sky

The highest flying birds

There are birds that fly even higher! In everyday life, they rise to heights of 1000-1500 meters, and even higher for long flights. They look completely different - they are large, they have a large wingspan, all this allows them to accumulate a lot of energy, fly far, high and for a long time.

• The white stork rises to a height of 2-3 thousand meters.
• Black swifts are record holders among birds for the longest stay in the air (young swifts, having taken off, land only after 2-3 years), the second fastest flight (more than 120 km/h) and one of the highest flying birds in the world (they can circle even in sleep at an altitude of about 3 thousand meters above the ground).
• The golden eagle is a bird of prey that, circling at an altitude of 4500 meters, can spot prey with its keen vision and catch it.
• Mallards are ducks known to many and encountered even within the city. During flights they fly very high. There is a known case when a mallard collided with a plane at an altitude of 6900 meters.
• Gray geese fly to a height of 8000 meters.
• The most record holders are vultures, the maximum height at which they were recorded was 12,150 meters, colliding with an airplane.

Vulture

Civil aircraft fly at an altitude of 9-11 thousand km. During the flight, everyone who flew looked or at least looked out the window, it was very difficult to see anything below. The city is seen beautiful only during takeoff and landing, when the plane gradually gains altitude or decreases it.
So what birds do people think of when they search Google? What height are they talking about? :)