Flying without wings: Slow motion footage of the tiny bird shows how it folds its wings into its body mid-airFlying the nest as a youngster might seem traumatic for most small birds, but this baby great tit makes taking flight look effortless.
The tiny bird captured in this stunning slow motion video appears to soar through the air while at times not even flapping its wings.
In the remarkable New Scientist footage, the baby great tit flies around a bird feeder, folding its wings in while still remaining air-born.
Take off: The tit launches into the air using its wings as normalThe bird does flap its wings every few seconds to maintain flight, but for the most part of the 50-second video its flies without wings.
The award-winning video was shot by Remco Brand and Ansa Fiaz, as part of the Flight Artists project at Wageningen University.
Unorthodox: The tit's unusual flying technique is not normally noticeable, but can be spotted here during the slow-motion video
The bird approaches its landing spot with its wings still tucked in to help reduce drag as it flies through the air
Experts say the great tit folds its wings into its body as it flies to change direction and also modulate its aerodynamics as it landsAccording to Anders Hedenström from the Animal Flight lab at Lund University, the baby great tit retracts its wings to modulate its aerodynamics before landing.
As well as using the clever manoeuvre to change direction, the bird also folds its wings in while cruising in the air to reduce drag.
Mr Hedenstrom said: 'Swallows and hirundines are often seen having a brief pause in the middle of the upstroke.'
source: dailymail
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