Climbing performance of harris' hawks (parabuteo unicinctus) with added load: implications for muscle mechanics and for radiotracking
McAllister L, Fuller MR, Pennycuick CJ. 1988. Climbing performance of harris' hawks (parabuteo unicinctus) with added load: implications for muscle mechanics and for radiotracking. The Journal of Experimental Biology. 142:17-29
Two Harris' hawks were trained to fly along horizontal and climbing flight paths, while carrying loads of various masses, to provide data for estimating available mus~le power during short flights. The body mass of both hawks was about 920 g, and they were able to carry loads up to 630 g in horizontal flight. The rate of climb decreased with increasing all-up mass, as also did the climbing power (product of weight and rate of climb). Various assumptions about the aerodynamic power in low-speed climbs led to estimates of the maximum power output ofthe flight muscles ranging from 41 to 46 W. This, in turn, would imply a stress during shortening of around 210 kPa. The effects of a radio package on a bird that is raising young should be considered in relation to the food load that the forager can normally carry, rather than in relation to its body mass.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- McAllister, Lynne; Fuller, M.; Pennycuick, C.
- Units
- ASIS
- Keywords
- harris hawk, parabuteo unicinctus, radiotracking