Meeting Abstract

21.6  Thursday, Jan. 3  Landing flight in the pigeon Columba livia BERG, A.M.*; BIEWENER, A.A.; Concord Field Station amberg@fas.harvard.edu

Using high-speed video, EMG and sonomicrometry, we studied the landing flight of four pigeons (Columba livia). As the birds approached the perch, we found no consistent increase or decrease in the center of mass potential energy, though kinetic energy decreased markedly. Body angle increased during landing by over 50�, and the birds occasionally pitched backward beyond the vertical. Stroke amplitude increased by as much as 17� as the birds approached the perch. Stroke plane angle changed dramatically, shifting as much as 30� and from a rearward orientation to a forward orientation. We suggest that the forward orientation of the stroke plane angle forces more air forward, causing deceleration during landing flight.