This bird flies thousands of miles, but its wings have a catch - Science Daily

A bird that migrates thousands of miles has revealed a surprising secret about how wings work. Scientists have discovered that European nightjars sacrifice flight efficiency for agility and use an unexpected wingbeat technique previously associated mainly with bats and insects. The European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) is a nighttime hunter that makes an extraordinary annual migration between Europe and southern Africa. Yet the wings that carry it across vast distances must also perform a very different task: helping the bird catch insects while flying slowly and making sharp turns.

We’re sharing this article early to provide faster access to peer-reviewed, accepted research. It is citable and carries a permanent DOI. This version is subject to further edits and will be replaced automatically by the final Version of Record. All legal disclaimers apply. AbstractSewing is one of the established methods used to fabricate and assemble multilayer insulation (MLI) blankets for aerospace applications, yet the resulting effective flexural behavior remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates the room-temperature, quasi-static flexural behavior of MLI blankets composed of aluminized BoPET radiation shields and polyester net spacers across structural configurations of 2, 6, 12, and 24 layers. A full factorial design was employed to evaluate the influence of the number of layers, stitch density, needle thread tension, and needle foot force. Statistical analyses demonstrated that the number of layers is the dominant factor governing flexural response. Among the sewing parameters, needle thread tension was associated with modifications in bending length, while needle foot force primarily affected local compaction.

IntroductionBirds rely on a collection of behavioural, physiological, and chemical defences to mitigate the constant threat posed by pathogens and parasites in their environment1. Preen oil from the uropygial gland (UG) is a key component of avian integumentary immunity, supporting feather maintenance and waterproofing, while the UG is also known to harbour diverse microbes, including γ- and α-Pseudomonadota and Actinomycetota, that contribute to feather defense2,3. We recently exemplified a case of the bacterial isolate Amycolatopsis sp. PS_44_ISF1 derived from the UG of the toxic bird Pachycephala schlegelii that can directly contribute to the bird’s chemical defence system, by producing bioactive metabolites such as the antifungal macrolactam ciromicin A3,4, the co-secreted tensioactive lipopeptide family pachycephalamides, and a highly modified hexapeptide, named demiguisin A (1) (Fig. 1). The chemical structure of 1, caught our interest, as it contains non-proteinogenic piperazic acid (hexahydropyridazine-3-carboxylic acid, Piz) residues within the sequence Gly–β,γ-OH-Piz–Leu–Piz–DHPA–γ-c-Pro (Fig. 1)3,5.