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The roller coaster flight strategy of bar-headed geese conserves energy during Himalayan migrations

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Standard Standard

The roller coaster flight strategy of bar-headed geese conserves energy during Himalayan migrations. / Bishop, C.M.; Spivey, R.J.; Hawkes, L.A. et al.
In: Science, Vol. 347, No. 6219, 16.01.2015, p. 250-254.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

HarvardHarvard

Bishop, CM, Spivey, RJ, Hawkes, LA, Batbayar, N, Chua, B, Frappell, PB, Milsom, WK, Natsagdorj, T, Newman, SH, Scott, GR, Takekawa, JY, Wikelski, M & Butler, PJ 2015, 'The roller coaster flight strategy of bar-headed geese conserves energy during Himalayan migrations', Science, vol. 347, no. 6219, pp. 250-254. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1258732

APA

Bishop, C. M., Spivey, R. J., Hawkes, L. A., Batbayar, N., Chua, B., Frappell, P. B., Milsom, W. K., Natsagdorj, T., Newman, S. H., Scott, G. R., Takekawa, J. Y., Wikelski, M., & Butler, P. J. (2015). The roller coaster flight strategy of bar-headed geese conserves energy during Himalayan migrations. Science, 347(6219), 250-254. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1258732

CBE

Bishop CM, Spivey RJ, Hawkes LA, Batbayar N, Chua B, Frappell PB, Milsom WK, Natsagdorj T, Newman SH, Scott GR, et al. 2015. The roller coaster flight strategy of bar-headed geese conserves energy during Himalayan migrations. Science. 347(6219):250-254. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1258732

MLA

Bishop, C.M. et al. "The roller coaster flight strategy of bar-headed geese conserves energy during Himalayan migrations". Science. 2015, 347(6219). 250-254. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1258732

VancouverVancouver

Bishop CM, Spivey RJ, Hawkes LA, Batbayar N, Chua B, Frappell PB et al. The roller coaster flight strategy of bar-headed geese conserves energy during Himalayan migrations. Science. 2015 Jan 16;347(6219):250-254. doi: 10.1126/science.1258732

Author

Bishop, C.M. ; Spivey, R.J. ; Hawkes, L.A. et al. / The roller coaster flight strategy of bar-headed geese conserves energy during Himalayan migrations. In: Science. 2015 ; Vol. 347, No. 6219. pp. 250-254.

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The roller coaster flight strategy of bar-headed geese conserves energy during Himalayan migrations

AU - Bishop, C.M.

AU - Spivey, R.J.

AU - Hawkes, L.A.

AU - Batbayar, N.

AU - Chua, B.

AU - Frappell, P.B.

AU - Milsom, W.K.

AU - Natsagdorj, T.

AU - Newman, S.H.

AU - Scott, G.R.

AU - Takekawa, J.Y.

AU - Wikelski, M.

AU - Butler, P.J.

PY - 2015/1/16

Y1 - 2015/1/16

N2 - The physiological and biomechanical requirements of flight at high altitude have been the subject of much interest. Here, we uncover a steep relation between heart rate and wingbeat frequency (raised to the exponent 3.5) and estimated metabolic power and wingbeat frequency (exponent 7) of migratory bar-headed geese. Flight costs increase more rapidly than anticipated as air density declines, which overturns prevailing expectations that this species should maintain high-altitude flight when traversing the Himalayas. Instead, a “roller coaster” strategy, of tracking the underlying terrain and discarding large altitude gains only to recoup them later in the flight with occasional benefits from orographic lift, is shown to be energetically advantageous for flights over the Himalayas.

AB - The physiological and biomechanical requirements of flight at high altitude have been the subject of much interest. Here, we uncover a steep relation between heart rate and wingbeat frequency (raised to the exponent 3.5) and estimated metabolic power and wingbeat frequency (exponent 7) of migratory bar-headed geese. Flight costs increase more rapidly than anticipated as air density declines, which overturns prevailing expectations that this species should maintain high-altitude flight when traversing the Himalayas. Instead, a “roller coaster” strategy, of tracking the underlying terrain and discarding large altitude gains only to recoup them later in the flight with occasional benefits from orographic lift, is shown to be energetically advantageous for flights over the Himalayas.

U2 - 10.1126/science.1258732

DO - 10.1126/science.1258732

M3 - Article

VL - 347

SP - 250

EP - 254

JO - Science

JF - Science

SN - 0036-8075

IS - 6219

ER -