September
5, 2017
A
high-flying duck species reaches altitudes of up to 6,800 metres (22,000 feet)
to cross the Himalayas, new research shows.
Ruddy
shelducks are known to breed north of the Himalayan mountain range, but spend
their winters at sea level south of the Tibetan Plateau.
They need
to fly over the Himalayas in the spring to get back to their breeding grounds,
a huge challenge that sees them cross terrain higher than 4,000 metres,
where oxygen levels are
halved.
Scientists
from the University of Exeter used satellite tracking to discover that they fly
through valleys in the mountain range - avoiding massive peaks like Mount
Everest.
"This
is the first evidence of extreme high-altitude flight
in a duck," said lead researcher Nicole Parr, of Centre for Ecology and
Conservation on the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
"This
species has probably evolved a range of adaptations to be able to cope with
flying so high, where oxygen levels are half those at sea level. We don't yet know the
nature of these adaptations.
"Our
research also shows that the ruddy shelduck has a faster climb rate than the
bar-headed goose - the only waterfowl known to fly even higher."
Dr Lucy
Hawkes, the supervisor of the work at the University of Exeter, had previously
tracked bar-headed geese to 7,290 metres altitude near Everest in 2014.
They were
long thought to be the world's highest-flying bird based on flapping flight
(some birds soar higher on thermals), but the new research suggests that the
bar-headed geese may not be the only species flying at these high altitudes.
No comments:
Post a Comment