Tail Feathers

[Andres_424]

Hi,

This is just a random question but I have always wanted to get it answered so here it goes:

Why do some birds tails open while in flight and others don't?

Thank you

[Tiki]

My guess would be they need it for balance. I'm sure someone will have a more scientific explanation though.

[Monica]

Tail feathers help a bird to maneuver through the air, and some birds tend to use their tails more efficiently than others. Some may just be good enough they can maneuver without using their tails.

Otherwise, I have no other ideas!

[junior-coyote]

I think that tail feathers can act like flaps on airplane wings. When flaps are extended there is more lift and more drag. This is good for takeoffs and landings when speed is low. A bird might want to control speed when flying in a house (more drag) and he would also get more lift to stay up. If the bird wanted to go faster, he could close his tail feathers for less drag.

[The Outlaw]

I think junior coyote is probably correct. I think each bird tends to live in areas where specific flying skills are needed. Macaws, for example, tend to live in the canopy and travel as far as 40 miles a day. They are built for long range flights. I have also noticed that they seem to have better balance than their shorter tailed friends. It's much easier for them to balance on my shoulder, for example, than it is for my amazon and my greys. Nature provides them with the best tools for their individual needs.

[tielfan]

Macaws also have a very wide wingspan compared to many of the shorter tailed birds, so the tail isn't the whole story.

Cockatiels are also designed to travel long distances in search of food and water, and their wingspans and tails are long in relation to their bodies. In general, wide wings and long tails make it easier to travel long distances. The long-distance flyers also tend to have bodies that are proportionately more slender than the chunkier short-distance flyers.