How Do Big Birds Soar Over Mountains Without Flapping?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. How do big birds soar over mountains without flapping?

The Big Idea

Big birds soar over mountains by riding invisible rising air! Eagles and condors spread their wings and let the air lift them. That way they travel far without flapping much at all.

Warm Thermals

Step one: thermals. The Sun warms the mountain slopes, and the warm ground heats the air above it. Warm air rises in columns called thermals.

Ridge Updrafts

Step two: updrafts. When wind hits a ridge, it has nowhere to go but up. Birds glide along the ridge and let that moving air hold them aloft. Mountains make lots of updrafts for them.

Glide and Save

Step three: spread and glide. Eagles and condors spread their wings wide and ride the updrafts like invisible elevators. Gliding saves energy, so they can travel for miles. Flapping big wings is hard work, and riding the air is much easier!

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look! First, sunshine warms a mountain slope. The warm air rises up in a column. A bird spreads its wide wings to catch it. Then it circles up and up with hardly any flapping.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! An Andean condor's wings stretch about 10 feet across. That is wider than a tall door is high. Some soaring birds can glide for hours without flapping. Their big wings are made for riding the air.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! Find a clear space and spread your arms like wings. Glide in a slow circle, tilting a little. Imagine rising air holding you up, the way it holds a soaring eagle. How do you feel as a glider?

Outro

Big birds soar by riding rising air, saving their energy. Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!