why do the birds can not fly with out alula?!!?
606982
In simple terms, it is like a thumb for birds, it helps control their flight.\n\nIf you are looking for a more complex answer...see below:\n\n"The alula, or bastard wing, is a small, feathered projection on the anterior edge of the wing of modern birds. It is actually the thumb of the bird, and has been modified into an aerodynamical control device not too dissimilar from the forward slat on an airplane wing. Usually flush against the wing, the alula may be moved to modify the shape of the wing or provide a slat for direction of airflow, often to avoid stalling while landing. It has been found in all modern birds since Eoalulavis hoyasi, a primitive bird from the mid-Cretaceous, 115 million years ago."
64483
Mamals (teradactyles) used to fly with leatherlike wings so it would seem that humans could also.  However human arm and chest muscles are not very suitable for flight.  As in the term pigeon or chicken breasted, birds have muscular chests that fascilitate a powerful downward pull on the wings.  Coonsider the shape of a turkey breast and the thick breastmeat there.  Still, the only way a turkey can soar with the eagles, is in their talons.  We would tire too easily, even with very light fake wings.
434100
Birds have ears, however they do not stick out like ours. Birds will die anywhere. If they all went somewhere special there would be an enormous pile of dead birds somewhere and I have not yet heard of "Dead Bird Mountain".
1176488
Well, ounce for ounce, the bird's skeletal frame is extremely strong and light.  But what allows it to fly is a combination of things.  First of all the birds' muscles are totally different than that of a humans' which can be trained to do short sprints or long distance running or both. The birds' primary movement is flying and depending on the bird, they can fly long distance or fly quickly.  Most can not be a jack of all trades and fly long distance like a wild geese and be as quick as a sparrow.  \n\nSecondly what allows a bird to fly is a totally different internal organs compared to a bird.  Many birds have several pairs of lung like features that allows them to utilize oxygen extremely efficiently.  Also a birds digestive system is made so that it craps every 30 minutes or so after food intake.  This allows to minimize the body weight thereby allowing it to fly easier.\n\nThe feathers which are stream lined are what actually allows a bird to fly, but I would say that is just one aspect of WHY it can fly.    Take the ostrich.  It can not fly at all.  Take the Toucan.  It has streamlined feathers but it can not fly all too well either.\n\nHope that helps.
755713
No, you don't tend to wonder these things when you know why.\n  \nIt's to do with the air currents.  By flying in a V formation the birds behind save up to 30% of energy.  When the leading bird gets tired he drops out and goes to the end of the formation and one of the birds next in sequence takes his place, so they still maintain the V formation.  This process continues until all the birds come to rest.\nIf a bird gets injured and needs to land to earth, two other birds will also break away and stay with the injured bird until he gets well or until he dies, before resuming their flight.
934136
Technically they CAN fly, but only for a few seconds. They much prefer to run (..at speeds up to 17 mph). The roadrunner is also known as the Chaparral and is the state bird of New Mexico.
497390
No, we couldn't fly if we had wings. We're much to heavy for one thing. Flying birds have hollow bones and many other adaptations for flight (like a "keel" on their breastbone that the flight muscles attach to and specialized respiratory systems). It's a good thing we're smart enough to make things like planes, because that's the only way we're getting in the air.
63919
Because of the way their legs are built.\nThe tendons in bird's legs are arranged as a pulley-rope system so that the weight of the animal pulls on these tendons and keeps their fingers closed at rest. Thus they do not require voluntary muscle action to maintain their grasp on branches.\nThis is specially characteristic of songbirds. Others may rely on nests, platforms or other types of dwellings
652147
Well, they have no problem evading predators, and they're _very_ aggressive, no matter their size. \nBut hummingbirds simply cannot walk or stand on the ground. The reason is that their legs and feet are built in such a manner that they can only perch on small-diameter twigs (and cables, ropes, etc.). \nTheir legs are extremely short, and their small feet have long curved claws that do not allow them to walk or even hop. \nYou can see what their feet look like here: http://www.hiltonpond.org/images/RTHUHYMPerched01small.jpg
629253
I don't. I just let 'er rip!!! God set people apart from pigeons by giving them the ability to release gas. That is why Alka Seltzer doesn't make us blow up.
837581
Nobody truely knows the exact reason for this but the massive flocks are immigrant Starlings from eastern Europe and Scandinavia. The flocks form as feeding parties converge at dusk to go to a communal roost. The flock then does a communal flight around the roost site before descending (often into a reedbed). The obvious answer would be for protection but a massive flock attracts all the predators within the local area (sparrowhawks, merlins, peregrines etc) so it is possible that the risk actually increases (dependent on flock size). It could be for warmth in the roost as a cold night could kill many birds, something close proximity might avoid.
1134805
Can birds understand nuclear physics?? Why not? Maybe coz their brain is not developed to understand it.\nSo then, is it possible that we are not entirely able to understand God because we do not have a brain that developed? YES!!
1050300
It was a swallow....\n\n\nArthur: The swallow may fly south with the sun or the house martin or the plover may seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are not strangers to our land? \nSoldier #1: Are you suggesting coconuts migrate? \nArthur: Not at all. They could be carried. \nSoldier #1: What? A swallow carrying a coconut? \nArthur: It could grip it by the husk! \nSoldier #1: It's not a question of where he grips it! It's a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut. \nArthur: Well, it doesn't matter. Will you go and tell your master that Arthur from the Court of Camelot is here? \nSoldier #1: Listen. In order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right? \nArthur: Please! \nSoldier #1: Am I right? \nArthur: I'm not interested! \nSoldier #2: It could be carried by an African swallow! \nSoldier #1: Oh, yeah, an African swallow maybe, but not a European swallow. That's my point. \nSoldier #2: Oh, yeah, I agree with that. \nArthur: Will you ask your master if he wants to join my court at Camelot?! \nSoldier #1: But then of course a-- African swallows are non-migratory. \nSoldier #2: Oh, yeah... \nSoldier #1: So, they couldn't bring a coconut back anyway... \n[clop clop clop]\nSoldier #2: Wait a minute! Supposing two swallows carried it together? \nSoldier #1: No, they'd have to have it on a line. \nSoldier #2: Well, simple! They'd just use a strand of creeper! \nSoldier #1: What, held under the dorsal guiding feathers? \nSoldier #2: Well, why not?
506079
It's too cold for them up north. We get all the birds down here, in the Winter time. Actually we have birds all year round. Just different ones in the Winter.
178295
i did a small unit in animal behaviour and physiology and from what i remember .. birds have a much narrower vision (acuity of vision) which enables them to detect preys for examples from large distances while flying .. thats all i know, it not ... mm .. that informative.. but i hope it helped .. lol
458709
oh come on BABy u can fly even without them..... now just since u want to fly doesnt mean that u will take ur parrot's wings.... better take those 10 helium balloons...thats a better idea...
1018059
For a while, humans had a firm grip on the aerodynamics of fixed wing flight, and found that those rules didn't correctly explain the aerodynamics of moving bumblebee wings.\n\nNone of which menas that our understanding of flixed wing flight was hopelessly flawed, or that bumblebees fly with the help of tiny angels, or anything like that.  It just means that you can't accurataly understand a phenomena by applying inapplicable theories to it.  \n\nNow , we know the aerodynamics of bumblebees better; specifically, we know the aerodynamics of the small vortices created by insect wings better, so that I believe we do now have accurate hypotheses to apply to bumblebees flight.