Flight speed in Brazilian free-tailed bats (data from McCracken et al. 2016)

dc.contributor.authorMcCracken, Gary
dc.contributor.authorSafi, Kamran
dc.contributor.authorKunz, Thomas
dc.contributor.authorDechmann, Dina K.N.
dc.contributor.authorSwartz, Sharon
dc.contributor.authorWikelski, Martin
dc.date.accessioned2016-10-31T17:38:18Z
dc.date.available2016-10-31T17:38:18Z
dc.date.issued2016-10-31
dc.description.abstractThe performance capabilities of flying animals reflect the interplay of biomechanical and physiological constraints and evolutionary innovation. Of the two extant groups of vertebrates that are capable of powered flight, birds are thought to fly more efficiently and faster than bats. However, fast-flying bat species that are adapted for flight in open airspace are similar in wing shape and appear to be similar in flight dynamics to fast-flying birds that exploit the same aerial niche. Here, we investigate flight behaviour in seven free-flying Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) and report that the maximum ground speeds achieved exceed speeds previously documented for any bat. Regional wind modelling indicates that bats adjusted flight speeds in response to winds by flying more slowly as wind support increased and flying faster when confronted with crosswinds, as demonstrated for insects, birds and other bats. Increased frequency of pauses in wing beats at faster speeds suggests that flap-gliding assists the bats’ rapid flight. Our results suggest that flight performance in bats has been underappreciated and that functional differences in the flight abilities of birds and bats require re-evaluation.
dc.identifier.doidoi:10.5441/001/1.td71sn54/1
dc.identifier.urihttps://datarepository.movebank.org/handle/10255/move.594
dc.relation.ispartofdoi:10.5441/001/1.td71sn54
dc.relation.isreferencedbydoi:10.1098/rsos.160398
dc.rightsCC0 1.0 Universalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
dc.subjectairplane tracking
dc.subjectanimal movement
dc.subjectanimal tracking
dc.subjectBrazilian free-tailed bats
dc.subjectEnv-DATA
dc.subjectflight performance
dc.subjectground speed
dc.subjectMovebank
dc.subjectNorth American Regional Reanalysis
dc.subjectradio telemetry
dc.subjectTadarida brasiliensis
dc.subjectTexas
dc.subjectwind modeling
dc.titleFlight speed in Brazilian free-tailed bats (data from McCracken et al. 2016)
dc.typeDataset
dspace.entity.typeData package
dwc.ScientificNameTadarida brasiliensis
mdr.citation.BibTex
@misc{001/1_td71sn54/1,
  title = {Flight speed in Brazilian free-tailed bats (data from McCracken et al. 2016)},
  author = {McCracken, G and Safi, K and Kunz, T and Dechmann, DKN and Swartz, S and Wikelski, M},
  year = {2016},
  URL = {http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.td71sn54/1},
  doi = {doi:10.5441/001/1.td71sn54/1},
  publisher = {Movebank data repository}
}
mdr.citation.CSE
McCracken G, Safi K, Kunz T, Dechmann DKN, Swartz S, Wikelski M. 2016. Flight speed in Brazilian free-tailed bats (data from McCracken et al. 2016). Movebank Data Repository. https://doi.org/10.5441/001/1.td71sn54/1
mdr.citation.RIS
TY  - DATA
ID  - doi:10.5441/001/1.td71sn54/1
T1  - Flight speed in Brazilian free-tailed bats (data from McCracken et al. 2016)
AU  - McCracken, Gary
AU  - Safi, Kamran
AU  - Kunz, Thomas
AU  - Dechmann, Dina K.N.
AU  - Swartz, Sharon
AU  - Wikelski, Martin
Y1  - 2016/10/31
KW  - airplane tracking
KW  - animal movement
KW  - animal tracking
KW  - Brazilian free-tailed bats
KW  - Env-DATA
KW  - flight performance
KW  - ground speed
KW  - Movebank
KW  - North American Regional Reanalysis
KW  - radio telemetry
KW  - Tadarida brasiliensis
KW  - Texas
KW  - wind modeling
KW  - Tadarida brasiliensis
PB  - Movebank data repository
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.td71sn54/1
DO  - doi:10.5441/001/1.td71sn54/1
ER  - 
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