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An unconventional mechanism of lift production during the downstroke in a hovering bird (Zosterops japonicus)

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Abstract

An unconventional mechanism of ventral clap is exploited by hovering passerines to produce lift. Quantitative visualization of the wake flow, analysis of kinematics and evaluation of the transient lift force was conducted to dissect the biomechanical role of the ventral clap in the asymmetrical hovering flight of passerines. The ventral clap can first abate and then augment lift production during the downstroke; the net effect of the ventral clap on lift production is, however, positive because the extent of lift augmentation is greater than the extent of lift abatement. Moreover, the ventral clap is inferred to compensate for the zero lift production of the upstroke because the clapping wings induce a substantial elevation of the lift force at the end of the downstroke. Overall, our observations shed light on the aerodynamic function of the ventral clap and offer biomechanical insight into how a bird hovers without kinematically mimicking hovering hummingbirds.

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Acknowledgments

National Science Council of the Republic of China partially supported this work under contracts NSC96-2628-E-002-256-MY3, NSC96-2628-E-002-258-MY3, NSC97-2221-E-035-087-MY3 and NSC99-2218-E007-002.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan

    Yu-Hung Chang, Shang-Chieh Ting, Chieh-Cheng Liu & Jing-Tang Yang

  2. Department of Aerospace and Systems Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung, 40724, Taiwan

    Chyi-Yeou Soong

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  1. Yu-Hung Chang
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  2. Shang-Chieh Ting
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  3. Chieh-Cheng Liu
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  4. Jing-Tang Yang
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  5. Chyi-Yeou Soong
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Correspondence to Jing-Tang Yang.

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Chang, YH., Ting, SC., Liu, CC. et al. An unconventional mechanism of lift production during the downstroke in a hovering bird (Zosterops japonicus). Exp Fluids 51, 1231–1243 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-011-1145-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-011-1145-8

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