User:Chasea60/sandbox

Article link - Ruppell’s Vulture

Topic - Wing Aerodynamics (but I branched into general aerodynamics I think)

Thought to be the highest-flying bird, the aerodynamics of the Ruppell’s vulture is important for energy conservation and has even inspired aircraft engineers. The wings have flared tips, also known as winglets, that help diffuse vortices at the wingtips that would otherwise increase drag and decrease overall efficiency during flight. Along with morphological adaptations for improved aerodynamics, Ruppell’s vultures have cooperative behavioral adaptations to aid in flight. By adjusting head and feet positions in flight, they can adjust their drag-to-lift ratio, maximizing efficiency across different flight circumstances such as take-off vs extended flights. These morphological and behavioral adaptations allow the Ruppell’s vulture to be very efficient in flight, which is critical for species survival since even small increases in energy expenditures can drastically reduce foraging distance .

I'm thinking about placing this under the main header "behavior", and probably need to make a new subheader like "Aerodynamics" or something. Suggestions are welcome though!