FLICKR, FERRAN PESTANA
The Alpine swift (Tachymarptis melba) is capable of staying airborne for more than six months, according to researchers at the Swiss Ornithological Institute. The study, published in Nature Communications today (October 8), provides the first evidence of a terrestrial bird flying for extended periods of time and suggests that the swifts must sleep in the air.
At a Swiss breeding facility, six Alpine swifts were fitted with tags to record their locations and activity as they departed for wintering grounds in Africa. The following year, three of the six birds were recaptured and the researchers recovered seven months of data detailing the birds’ activity and movement. By analyzing acceleration and location data, the scientists discovered that the birds had periods where they demonstrated minimal activity ...
