Keywords
Aerodynamics; Engineering; Perching; Bird Flight
Abstract
During landing, birds often execute a perching maneuver. The perching maneuver refers to the complex series of actions that birds, and pigeons in particular, will perform when landing. They will typically decelerate by pitching their body to a high angle of attack and spreading their wings. It is believed to help achieve better control and reach optimal lift and drag coefficients. This study seeks to better understand the vortex interactions between the main and tail wings during this maneuver. However, it is still an unexplored phenomenon. Thus, two bird models were conceived to analyze it, one with and one without the tail wing. We tested these two models at a Re = 7500. Synchronous pitching and deceleration motions were performed on the model, mimicking the perching maneuver. Two different accelerations and pitching rates were considered. We used Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and force sensor data to compare the velocity field and the forces generated by the model. Due to the vortex interactions between the shed vortices of the main and tail wings, the tail plays a vital role in lift and drag production during the perching maneuver.
Thesis Completion Year
2025
Thesis Completion Semester
Spring
Thesis Chair
Bhattacharya, Samik
College
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Department
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Thesis Discipline
Aerospace Engineering
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Sriram, Anirudh, "The Aerodynamics of Bird Perching: Understanding Wing and Body Interactions In Pigeon Flight" (2025). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 253.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/253
Rights Statement
