How do birds fly?

From the ground, a bird rising into the air looks like pure magic. Yet everything in its body is designed for flying: its wings, feathers, bones and even the way it breathes. How do they do it?

Light but strong feathers

The feathers on the wings and tail are long, flexible and very light. They are made of a central shaft with thousands of tiny hooks that hold them together, like a zipper. If they get messy, the bird smooths them with its beak.

Hollow bones

Many bird bones are hollow and reinforced inside with tiny braces. This makes them light but still strong. A light skeleton is a great advantage for taking off and staying in the air.

Powerful muscles

A bird biggest muscles are in the chest and they move the wings. They attach to a bone shaped like the keel of a boat. That is why the chest of a flying bird is so strong.

How the air holds it up

When it flaps its wings down, the bird pushes the air back and down, and gets a push forward and up. The curved shape of the wing makes air produce lift, just like on an airplane. The tail works like a rudder for turning and braking.

Flying with no effort

Large birds, such as eagles or vultures, use rising currents of warm air to glide without flapping their wings. Albatrosses can cover huge distances almost without flapping.

Not all birds fly

Ostriches, penguins and kiwis do not fly. Their wings have adapted to other jobs, like running fast or swimming. Hummingbirds, on the other hand, beat their wings dozens of times per second and can hover in the air.

A fun fact

Swifts spend almost their whole lives in flight: they eat, drink and even sleep in the air. They only land to raise their chicks.

Activity: watch and count

Find a bird near your home and watch how it takes off, how it flaps its wings and how it lands. Then draw its open wings and look at the shape of its feathers.