Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to CHIL EagleCAM. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Eagle's Feathers/flight
Topic Started: Aug 20 2006, 06:12 PM (201 Views)
Lou
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
After looking at some of the photos of the eagles flying and soaring, I was wondering how much control they have of individual feathers? Can they move any of them individually? May be the ones at the wing tips? I would think that would give them better control in flight.

How long are the feathers on their wing tips?

Do eagles have better manueverabilty in the air than other birds?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Eagle Guy
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
Lou,Aug 20 2006
06:12 PM
After looking at some of the photos of the eagles flying and soaring, I was wondering how much control they have of individual feathers? Can they move any of them individually? May be the ones at the wing tips? I would think that would give them better control in flight.

How long are the feathers on their wing tips?

Do eagles have better manueverabilty in the air than other birds?

Eagles can control many of their feathers individually, including wing and body feathers. By controlling their wingtips, they are able to soar well with little flapping. The primary feathers on their wingtips are probably about 15 or 16 inches long. Because of their body size, eagles probably are not as manueverable as other birds. They are more like the long range bombers, as compared to small fighter planes. That is why the ravens and hawks can harass them without much threat.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Lou
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
Thanks Dr. Sharpe for your answer. When I watched the video that Dave posted on the 8/16 update, I noticed that the eagles seemed to just be soaring across the sky without doing a lot of flapping. It is so amazing to watch them hang in the air like that! :)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Hulabird
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
Speaking of the update by Dave...was it Dave Garcelon?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Eagle Guy
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
No, Dave Rempel, my on-island supervisor.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · What are your questions? · Next Topic »
Add Reply