Hello folks who wonder if the only secret to staying healthy is not eating everything you like,
What do you think humans thought immediately after inventing the wheel?
Wow, now that I have got things rolling, what will I do if I am going too fast and I happen to spot a rare Pokémon on the side of the freeway.
Several accidents, and generations later, humans invented a device for slowing down or stopping the wheel by applying pressure to the wheels called brakes.
Bird wings just like Monarch Butterflies get all the attention but the tails are the hidden heroes here. Bird tails have a variety of functions depending on the type of bird, but common themes for tails across different birds are stability, maneuverability and braking during flight. Below is a Black Phoebe spreading its tail feathers to decrease its velocity, thus acting like a brake.
When it lands you will see it compacting its tail feathers after landing on the branch. During perching, the tail then helps to maintain its balance.
One of the effective techniques to stop your vehicle is to constantly "pump the brakes" when you want to come to a stop while traveling at a fast speed. Pumping the brakes or having anti-lock braking systems in your vehicle helps avoid skidding and thus loss of control of the vehicle. Fast fliers like Barn Swallows have to constantly pump the brakes to bring them to a low enough velocity to be able to perch. To do this it will have to constantly raise and lower its tail to bring it to a gradual stop.
Another purpose of these tail feathers is to control the direction of the flight like the rudder on an airplane or a boat. Below is the Black Phoebe twisting its tail to adjust its direction during descent.
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