Hedrick T L, Biewener A A
Department of Biology, CB 3280 Coker Hall, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA.
J Exp Biol. 2007 Jun;210(Pt 11):1897-911. doi: 10.1242/jeb.002055.
Maneuvering flight has long been recognized as an important component of the natural behavior of many bird species, but has been the subject of little experimental work. Here we examine the kinematics and neuromuscular control of turning flight in the rose-breasted cockatoo Eolophus roseicapillus (N=6), testing predictions of maneuvering flight and control based on aerodynamic theory and prior kinematic and neuromuscular studies. Six cockatoos were trained to navigate between two perches placed in an L-shaped flight corridor, making a 90 degrees turn midway through each flight. Flights were recorded with three synchronized high-speed video cameras placed outside the corridor, allowing a three-dimensional reconstruction of wing and body kinematics through the turn. We simultaneously collected electromyography recordings from bilateral implants in the pectoralis, supracoracoideus, biceps brachii and extensor metacarpi radialis muscles. The cockatoos maneuvered using flapping, banked turns with an average turn radius of 0.92 m. The mean rate of change in heading during a complete wingbeat varied through the turn and was significantly correlated to roll angle at mid-downstroke. Changes in roll angle were found to include both within-wingbeat and among-wingbeat components that bear no direct relationship to one another. Within-wingbeat changes in roll were dominated by the inertial effects while among-wingbeat changes in roll were likely the result of both inertial and aerodynamic effects.
长期以来，机动飞行一直被认为是许多鸟类自然行为的重要组成部分，但却很少成为实验研究的对象。在此，我们研究了玫瑰凤头鹦鹉（Eolophus roseicapillus，N = 6）转弯飞行的运动学和神经肌肉控制，检验基于空气动力学理论以及先前运动学和神经肌肉研究的机动飞行及控制预测。六只凤头鹦鹉经过训练，在L形飞行走廊中放置的两个栖木之间导航，每次飞行中途进行90度转弯。飞行过程由放置在走廊外的三台同步高速摄像机记录，从而能够对转弯过程中的翅膀和身体运动学进行三维重建。我们同时从胸肌、上喙肌、肱二头肌和桡侧腕伸肌的双侧植入物收集肌电图记录。凤头鹦鹉通过扑翼进行机动，以平均转弯半径0.92米进行倾斜转弯。在整个完整的振翅过程中，航向的平均变化率在转弯过程中有所不同，并且与下拍中点时的滚转角显著相关。发现滚转角的变化包括振翅内和振翅间的成分，它们彼此之间没有直接关系。振翅内滚转的变化主要由惯性效应主导，而振翅间滚转的变化可能是惯性和空气动力学效应共同作用的结果。
