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Found this link in the Natural History mailing list
All in a flap: New evidence of how birds took to flight
The research says that the Angle of Wings w.r.t ground remained constant regardless of the activity and age of the birds.
The arc of wing stroke provides several advantages, he says.
One is that it directs aerodynamic force at about 40 degrees above the horizontal, providing an airflow under the wings that boosts the bird's agility at lower energy cost. This would be very important for early birds with poorly developed feathers.
And it also provides an air-brake for fledgling birds. If a young bird falls from a tree, for instance, it can flap its wings and this will slow its fall, thus preventing injury.
Very interesting !
All in a flap: New evidence of how birds took to flight
The research says that the Angle of Wings w.r.t ground remained constant regardless of the activity and age of the birds.
The arc of wing stroke provides several advantages, he says.
One is that it directs aerodynamic force at about 40 degrees above the horizontal, providing an airflow under the wings that boosts the bird's agility at lower energy cost. This would be very important for early birds with poorly developed feathers.
And it also provides an air-brake for fledgling birds. If a young bird falls from a tree, for instance, it can flap its wings and this will slow its fall, thus preventing injury.
Very interesting !