feathers (and one bird)

[DB Cates]

I just started reading an article in the latest SciAm about feathers,
including their evolution. The first paragraph gave me a WOW moment that
i thought I would share (below). I haven't read much beyond that yet.'

"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record
that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the
course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its hatching
ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania, covering 8,425
miles without taking a single break. For comparison, there is only one
commercial aircraft that can fly that far nonstop, a Boeing 777 with a
213-foot wingspan and one of the most powerful jet engines in the world.
During its journey, B6—an animal that could perch comfortably on your
shoulder—did not land, did not eat, did not drink and <i>did not stop
flapping</i>, sustaining an average ground speed of 30 miles per hour 24
hours a day as it winged its way to the other end of the world.

[JTEM]

Post by DB Cates
"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record
that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the
course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its hatching
ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania, covering 8,425
miles without taking a single break. For comparison, there is only one
commercial aircraft that can fly that far nonstop, a Boeing 777 with a
213-foot wingspan and one of the most powerful jet engines in the world.
During its journey, B6—an animal that could perch comfortably on your
shoulder—did not land, did not eat, did not drink and <i>did not stop
flapping</i>, sustaining an average ground speed of 30 miles per hour 24
hours a day as it winged its way to the other end of the world.

It's not hard to imagine them tagging a bird, tracking it with GPS,
but to know that it was continuously flapping it's wings?

Dude, I can't keep track of all the times Apple has gone haywire
in directions! It can't keep track of me from road to road! And
they can monitor flapping across over 8,000 miles?

[FromTheRafters]

Post by JTEM

"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record that
few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the course of 11
days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its hatching ground in
Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania, covering 8,425 miles without
taking a single break. For comparison, there is only one commercial
aircraft that can fly that far nonstop, a Boeing 777 with a 213-foot
wingspan and one of the most powerful jet engines in the world. During its
journey, B6—an animal that could perch comfortably on your shoulder—did not
land, did not eat, did not drink and <i>did not stop flapping</i>,
sustaining an average ground speed of 30 miles per hour 24 hours a day as
it winged its way to the other end of the world.

It's not hard to imagine them tagging a bird, tracking it with GPS,
but to know that it was continuously flapping it's wings?

https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/48/1/134/627446

[JTEM]

Post by FromTheRafters

Post by JTEM

Post by DB Cates
"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record
that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the
course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its
hatching ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania,
covering 8,425 miles without taking a single break. For comparison,
there is only one commercial aircraft that can fly that far nonstop,
a Boeing 777 with a 213-foot wingspan and one of the most powerful
jet engines in the world. During its journey, B6—an animal that could
perch comfortably on your shoulder—did not land, did not eat, did not
drink and <i>did not stop flapping</i>, sustaining an average ground
speed of 30 miles per hour 24 hours a day as it winged its way to the
other end of the world.

It's not hard to imagine them tagging a bird, tracking it with GPS,
but to know that it was continuously flapping it's wings?

https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/48/1/134/627446

You lack reading comprehension:

: Dude, I can't keep track of all the times Apple has gone haywire
: in directions! It can't keep track of me from road to road! And
: they can monitor flapping across over 8,000 miles?

My phone can't "Monitor" mean from street to street, and they could
continuously monitor a bird across 8,000 miles and, one presumes,
with a device small enough to not interfere with a birds ability
to fly those 8,000 miles?

[DB Cates]

Post by FromTheRafters

Post by JTEM

Post by DB Cates
"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record
that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the
course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its
hatching ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania,
covering 8,425 miles without taking a single break. For comparison,
there is only one commercial aircraft that can fly that far nonstop,
a Boeing 777 with a 213-foot wingspan and one of the most powerful
jet engines in the world. During its journey, B6—an animal that could
perch comfortably on your shoulder—did not land, did not eat, did not
drink and <i>did not stop flapping</i>, sustaining an average ground
speed of 30 miles per hour 24 hours a day as it winged its way to the
other end of the world.

It's not hard to imagine them tagging a bird, tracking it with GPS,
but to know that it was continuously flapping it's wings?

https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/48/1/134/627446

I suppose with a rigorous enough definition of "continuous beating" they
don't. But they are physically incapable of long gliding like an
albatross but it is likely they use continuous beating with occasional
short pauses, a common thing. But they know it never stopped or fed
(continuous tracking) and it can't land on water without dying (can't
feed and can't take off).
The only time I've ever seen a shorebird gliding is when it is coming in
for a landing.

[jillery]

Post by DB Cates

Post by FromTheRafters

Post by JTEM

Post by DB Cates
"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record
that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the
course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its
hatching ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania,
covering 8,425 miles without taking a single break. For comparison,
there is only one commercial aircraft that can fly that far nonstop,
a Boeing 777 with a 213-foot wingspan and one of the most powerful
jet engines in the world. During its journey, B6—an animal that could
perch comfortably on your shoulder—did not land, did not eat, did not
drink and <i>did not stop flapping</i>, sustaining an average ground
speed of 30 miles per hour 24 hours a day as it winged its way to the
other end of the world.

It's not hard to imagine them tagging a bird, tracking it with GPS,
but to know that it was continuously flapping it's wings?

https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/48/1/134/627446

I suppose with a rigorous enough definition of "continuous beating" they
don't. But they are physically incapable of long gliding like an
albatross but it is likely they use continuous beating with occasional
short pauses, a common thing. But they know it never stopped or fed
(continuous tracking) and it can't land on water without dying (can't
feed and can't take off).
The only time I've ever seen a shorebird gliding is when it is coming in
for a landing.
--

Perhaps it was an African Gotwit.

--
To know less than we don't know is the nature of most knowledge

[John Harshman]

Post by jillery

Post by DB Cates

Post by FromTheRafters

Post by JTEM

Post by DB Cates
"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record
that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the
course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its
hatching ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania,
covering 8,425 miles without taking a single break. For comparison,
there is only one commercial aircraft that can fly that far nonstop,
a Boeing 777 with a 213-foot wingspan and one of the most powerful
jet engines in the world. During its journey, B6—an animal that could
perch comfortably on your shoulder—did not land, did not eat, did not
drink and <i>did not stop flapping</i>, sustaining an average ground
speed of 30 miles per hour 24 hours a day as it winged its way to the
other end of the world.

It's not hard to imagine them tagging a bird, tracking it with GPS,
but to know that it was continuously flapping it's wings?

https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/48/1/134/627446

I suppose with a rigorous enough definition of "continuous beating" they
don't. But they are physically incapable of long gliding like an
albatross but it is likely they use continuous beating with occasional
short pauses, a common thing. But they know it never stopped or fed
(continuous tracking) and it can't land on water without dying (can't
feed and can't take off).
The only time I've ever seen a shorebird gliding is when it is coming in
for a landing.
--

Perhaps it was an African Gotwit.

Was that a joke of some kind? If so, what?

[erik simpson]

Post by John Harshman

Post by jillery

Post by DB Cates

Post by FromTheRafters

Post by JTEM

Post by DB Cates
"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record
that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the
course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its
hatching ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania,
covering 8,425 miles without taking a single break. For comparison,
there is only one commercial aircraft that can fly that far nonstop,
a Boeing 777 with a 213-foot wingspan and one of the most powerful
jet engines in the world. During its journey, B6—an animal that could
perch comfortably on your shoulder—did not land, did not eat, did not
drink and <i>did not stop flapping</i>, sustaining an average ground
speed of 30 miles per hour 24 hours a day as it winged its way to the
other end of the world.

It's not hard to imagine them tagging a bird, tracking it with GPS,
but to know that it was continuously flapping it's wings?

https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/48/1/134/627446

I suppose with a rigorous enough definition of "continuous beating" they
don't. But they are physically incapable of long gliding like an
albatross but it is likely they use continuous beating with occasional
short pauses, a common thing. But they know it never stopped or fed
(continuous tracking) and it can't land on water without dying (can't
feed and can't take off).
The only time I've ever seen a shorebird gliding is when it is coming in
for a landing.
--

Perhaps it was an African Gotwit.

Was that a joke of some kind? If so, what?

Maybe it was an African swallow..."
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=667972540324073

[jillery]

On Sun, 12 May 2024 06:16:49 -0700, John Harshman

Post by John Harshman

Post by jillery

Post by DB Cates

Post by FromTheRafters

Post by JTEM

Post by DB Cates
"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record
that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the
course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its
hatching ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania,
covering 8,425 miles without taking a single break. For comparison,
there is only one commercial aircraft that can fly that far nonstop,
a Boeing 777 with a 213-foot wingspan and one of the most powerful
jet engines in the world. During its journey, B6—an animal that could
perch comfortably on your shoulder—did not land, did not eat, did not
drink and <i>did not stop flapping</i>, sustaining an average ground
speed of 30 miles per hour 24 hours a day as it winged its way to the
other end of the world.

It's not hard to imagine them tagging a bird, tracking it with GPS,
but to know that it was continuously flapping it's wings?

https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/48/1/134/627446

I suppose with a rigorous enough definition of "continuous beating" they
don't. But they are physically incapable of long gliding like an
albatross but it is likely they use continuous beating with occasional
short pauses, a common thing. But they know it never stopped or fed
(continuous tracking) and it can't land on water without dying (can't
feed and can't take off).
The only time I've ever seen a shorebird gliding is when it is coming in
for a landing.
--

Perhaps it was an African Gotwit.

Was that a joke of some kind? If so, what?

How quickly you forget the classics:

--
To know less than we don't know is the nature of most knowledge

[John Harshman]

Post by jillery
On Sun, 12 May 2024 06:16:49 -0700, John Harshman

Post by John Harshman

Post by jillery

Post by DB Cates

Post by FromTheRafters

Post by JTEM

Post by DB Cates
"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record
that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the
course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its
hatching ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania,
covering 8,425 miles without taking a single break. For comparison,
there is only one commercial aircraft that can fly that far nonstop,
a Boeing 777 with a 213-foot wingspan and one of the most powerful
jet engines in the world. During its journey, B6—an animal that could
perch comfortably on your shoulder—did not land, did not eat, did not
drink and <i>did not stop flapping</i>, sustaining an average ground
speed of 30 miles per hour 24 hours a day as it winged its way to the
other end of the world.

It's not hard to imagine them tagging a bird, tracking it with GPS,
but to know that it was continuously flapping it's wings?

https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/48/1/134/627446

I suppose with a rigorous enough definition of "continuous beating" they
don't. But they are physically incapable of long gliding like an
albatross but it is likely they use continuous beating with occasional
short pauses, a common thing. But they know it never stopped or fed
(continuous tracking) and it can't land on water without dying (can't
feed and can't take off).
The only time I've ever seen a shorebird gliding is when it is coming in
for a landing.
--

Perhaps it was an African Gotwit.

Was that a joke of some kind? If so, what?

http://youtu.be/w8Rn_f75UHs

So the spelling "Gotwit" was just a typo, then. That's what confused me.

[erik simpson]

Post by jillery

Post by DB Cates

Post by FromTheRafters

Post by JTEM

Post by DB Cates
"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record
that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the
course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its
hatching ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania,
covering 8,425 miles without taking a single break. For comparison,
there is only one commercial aircraft that can fly that far nonstop,
a Boeing 777 with a 213-foot wingspan and one of the most powerful
jet engines in the world. During its journey, B6—an animal that could
perch comfortably on your shoulder—did not land, did not eat, did not
drink and <i>did not stop flapping</i>, sustaining an average ground
speed of 30 miles per hour 24 hours a day as it winged its way to the
other end of the world.

It's not hard to imagine them tagging a bird, tracking it with GPS,
but to know that it was continuously flapping it's wings?

https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/48/1/134/627446

I suppose with a rigorous enough definition of "continuous beating" they
don't. But they are physically incapable of long gliding like an
albatross but it is likely they use continuous beating with occasional
short pauses, a common thing. But they know it never stopped or fed
(continuous tracking) and it can't land on water without dying (can't
feed and can't take off).
The only time I've ever seen a shorebird gliding is when it is coming in
for a landing.
--

Perhaps it was an African Gotwit.
--
To know less than we don't know is the nature of most knowledge

There we go! Perhaps they travel in pairs, with one carrying the other
to give it some rest, maybe even with three birds, one carrying food for
all.

[Kerr-Mudd, John]

On Sun, 12 May 2024 10:04:11 -0700

Post by erik simpson

Post by jillery

Post by DB Cates

Post by FromTheRafters

Post by JTEM

Post by DB Cates
"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record
that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the
course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its
hatching ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania,
covering 8,425 miles without taking a single break. For comparison,
there is only one commercial aircraft that can fly that far nonstop,
a Boeing 777 with a 213-foot wingspan and one of the most powerful
jet engines in the world. During its journey, B6—an animal that could
perch comfortably on your shoulder—did not land, did not eat, did not
drink and <i>did not stop flapping</i>, sustaining an average ground
speed of 30 miles per hour 24 hours a day as it winged its way to the
other end of the world.

It's not hard to imagine them tagging a bird, tracking it with GPS,
but to know that it was continuously flapping it's wings?

https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/48/1/134/627446

I suppose with a rigorous enough definition of "continuous beating" they
don't. But they are physically incapable of long gliding like an
albatross but it is likely they use continuous beating with occasional
short pauses, a common thing. But they know it never stopped or fed
(continuous tracking) and it can't land on water without dying (can't
feed and can't take off).
The only time I've ever seen a shorebird gliding is when it is coming in
for a landing.
--

Perhaps it was an African Gotwit.
--
To know less than we don't know is the nature of most knowledge

There we go! Perhaps they travel in pairs, with one carrying the other
to give it some rest, maybe even with three birds, one carrying food for
all.

Clearly a relay of untagged Godwits were refuelling it on it's endurance
record attempt.

[Bob Casanova]

On Sat, 11 May 2024 12:21:59 -0500, the following appeared

Post by DB Cates
I just started reading an article in the latest SciAm about feathers,
including their evolution. The first paragraph gave me a WOW moment that
i thought I would share (below). I haven't read much beyond that yet.'
"In October 2022 a bird with the code name B6 set a new world record
that few people outside the field of ornithology noticed. Over the
course of 11 days, B6, a young Bar-tailed Godwit, flew from its hatching
ground in Alaska to its wintering ground in Tasmania, covering 8,425
miles without taking a single break. For comparison, there is only one
commercial aircraft that can fly that far nonstop, a Boeing 777 with a
213-foot wingspan and one of the most powerful jet engines in the world.
During its journey, B6—an animal that could perch comfortably on your
shoulder—did not land, did not eat, did not drink and <i>did not stop
flapping</i>, sustaining an average ground speed of 30 miles per hour 24
hours a day as it winged its way to the other end of the world.

That's pretty amazing. IIRC Arctic terns make longer
flights, but I'm pretty sure they don't do them nonstop. And
while albatrosses stay in the air for 11 months or so, they
eat "on the wing", and they don't do a lot of flapping.

Thanks!