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We now know how kestrels stay perfectly still while hovering
Two nankeen kestrels have been filmed flying in a wind tunnel to learn how the raptors keep their heads in a fixed position under turbulent conditions
Training the two captive-bred nankeen kestrels ( Falco cenchroides) took three years, says Abdulghani Mohamed at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. The hovering behaviour is critical to the birds as it allows them to keep their heads perfectly still to focus on prey on the ground. In the wind tunnel, researchers could create repeatable and measurable turbulence conditions, enabling them to study the specific movements of the kestrels and what they respond to.
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