Morphometric characterisation of wing feathers of the barn owl <it>Tyto alba pratincola </it>and the pigeon <it>Columba livia</it>
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Owls are known for their silent flight. Even though there is some information available on the mechanisms that lead to a reduction of noise emission, neither the morphological basis, nor the biological mechanisms of the owl's si...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2007-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Zoology |
| Online Access: | http://www.frontiersinzoology.com/content/4/1/23 |
| _version_ | 1818359865914949632 |
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| author | Klaas Michael Baumgartner Werner Klän Stephan Bachmann Thomas Schröder Wolfgang Wagner Hermann |
| author_facet | Klaas Michael Baumgartner Werner Klän Stephan Bachmann Thomas Schröder Wolfgang Wagner Hermann |
| author_sort | Klaas Michael |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Owls are known for their silent flight. Even though there is some information available on the mechanisms that lead to a reduction of noise emission, neither the morphological basis, nor the biological mechanisms of the owl's silent flight are known. Therefore, we have initiated a systematic analysis of wing morphology in both a specialist, the barn owl, and a generalist, the pigeon. This report presents a comparison between the feathers of the barn owl and the pigeon and emphasise the specific characteristics of the owl's feathers on macroscopic and microscopic level. An understanding of the features and mechanisms underlying this silent flight might eventually be employed for aerodynamic purposes and lead to a new wing design in modern aircrafts.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A variety of different feathers (six remiges and six coverts), taken from several specimen in either species, were investigated. Quantitative analysis of digital images and scanning electron microscopy were used for a morphometric characterisation. Although both species have comparable body weights, barn owl feathers were in general larger than pigeon feathers. For both species, the depth and the area of the outer vanes of the remiges were typically smaller than those of the inner vanes. This difference was more pronounced in the barn owl than in the pigeon. Owl feathers also had lesser radiates, longer pennula, and were more translucent than pigeon feathers. The two species achieved smooth edges and regular surfaces of the vanes by different construction principles: while the angles of attachment to the rachis and the length of the barbs was nearly constant for the barn owl, these parameters varied in the pigeon. We also present a quantitative description of several characteristic features of barn owl feathers, e.g., the serrations at the leading edge of the wing, the fringes at the edges of each feather, and the velvet-like dorsal surface.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The quantitative description of the feathers and the specific structures of owl feathers can be used as a model for the construction of a biomimetic airplane wing or, in general, as a source for noise-reducing applications on any surfaces subjected to flow fields.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T20:51:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c263fb2392ca495ab25fdce23cf48593 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1742-9994 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T20:51:42Z |
| publishDate | 2007-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Zoology |
| spelling | doaj.art-c263fb2392ca495ab25fdce23cf485932022-12-21T23:31:51ZengBMCFrontiers in Zoology1742-99942007-11-01412310.1186/1742-9994-4-23Morphometric characterisation of wing feathers of the barn owl <it>Tyto alba pratincola </it>and the pigeon <it>Columba livia</it>Klaas MichaelBaumgartner WernerKlän StephanBachmann ThomasSchröder WolfgangWagner Hermann<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Owls are known for their silent flight. Even though there is some information available on the mechanisms that lead to a reduction of noise emission, neither the morphological basis, nor the biological mechanisms of the owl's silent flight are known. Therefore, we have initiated a systematic analysis of wing morphology in both a specialist, the barn owl, and a generalist, the pigeon. This report presents a comparison between the feathers of the barn owl and the pigeon and emphasise the specific characteristics of the owl's feathers on macroscopic and microscopic level. An understanding of the features and mechanisms underlying this silent flight might eventually be employed for aerodynamic purposes and lead to a new wing design in modern aircrafts.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A variety of different feathers (six remiges and six coverts), taken from several specimen in either species, were investigated. Quantitative analysis of digital images and scanning electron microscopy were used for a morphometric characterisation. Although both species have comparable body weights, barn owl feathers were in general larger than pigeon feathers. For both species, the depth and the area of the outer vanes of the remiges were typically smaller than those of the inner vanes. This difference was more pronounced in the barn owl than in the pigeon. Owl feathers also had lesser radiates, longer pennula, and were more translucent than pigeon feathers. The two species achieved smooth edges and regular surfaces of the vanes by different construction principles: while the angles of attachment to the rachis and the length of the barbs was nearly constant for the barn owl, these parameters varied in the pigeon. We also present a quantitative description of several characteristic features of barn owl feathers, e.g., the serrations at the leading edge of the wing, the fringes at the edges of each feather, and the velvet-like dorsal surface.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The quantitative description of the feathers and the specific structures of owl feathers can be used as a model for the construction of a biomimetic airplane wing or, in general, as a source for noise-reducing applications on any surfaces subjected to flow fields.</p>http://www.frontiersinzoology.com/content/4/1/23 |
| spellingShingle | Klaas Michael Baumgartner Werner Klän Stephan Bachmann Thomas Schröder Wolfgang Wagner Hermann Morphometric characterisation of wing feathers of the barn owl <it>Tyto alba pratincola </it>and the pigeon <it>Columba livia</it> Frontiers in Zoology |
| title | Morphometric characterisation of wing feathers of the barn owl <it>Tyto alba pratincola </it>and the pigeon <it>Columba livia</it> |
| title_full | Morphometric characterisation of wing feathers of the barn owl <it>Tyto alba pratincola </it>and the pigeon <it>Columba livia</it> |
| title_fullStr | Morphometric characterisation of wing feathers of the barn owl <it>Tyto alba pratincola </it>and the pigeon <it>Columba livia</it> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morphometric characterisation of wing feathers of the barn owl <it>Tyto alba pratincola </it>and the pigeon <it>Columba livia</it> |
| title_short | Morphometric characterisation of wing feathers of the barn owl <it>Tyto alba pratincola </it>and the pigeon <it>Columba livia</it> |
| title_sort | morphometric characterisation of wing feathers of the barn owl it tyto alba pratincola it and the pigeon it columba livia it |
| url | http://www.frontiersinzoology.com/content/4/1/23 |
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