Jan Woźniak, 
Sr. Application Scientist at Picarro

 

Picarro Spotlight is a new blog series showcasing important scientific work from our customers around the world. Each blog is selected and summarized by our team. Enjoy! 

What if birds could teach us how to fly more efficiently?

In a groundbreaking study from Lund University, researchers explored the flight mechanics of migratory songbirds using a combination of wind tunnel experiments and stable isotope analysis using the Picarro G2201-i. Their goal: to understand how birds convert metabolic energy into mechanical power during flight — and whether that efficiency changes with speed.

As described in their paper "Energy Conversion Efficiency Peaks at Intermediate Flight Speed in a Migratory Songbirds," published in Current Biology, the team focused on thrush nightingales (Luscinia luscinia), long-distance migrants known for their endurance. By measuring both metabolic and mechanical power across a range of airspeeds, the researchers were able to calculate energy conversion efficiency — a key metric in flight physiology. 

To measure metabolic power, they used the 13C-labeled sodium bicarbonate method, tracking the elimination of 13CO₂ in exhaled air. This was made possible by the Picarro G2201-i Isotope Analyzer, which provided high-resolution, real-time data without the need to instrument the birds. Mechanical power was measured using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), capturing the kinetic energy added to the air by the birds’ wingbeats. 

The results were striking. Energy conversion efficiency wasn’t constant, as previously assumed. Instead, it followed a concave curve, peaking at around 15.3% at flight speeds of 7–8 m/s — precisely the speeds birds use during sustained migratory flight. This suggests that birds are physiologically tuned for optimal performance at ecologically relevant speeds. 

These findings have broad implications. They challenge the default assumptions used in flight models and offer new insights into how animals — and perhaps even engineered systems — can optimize energy use during movement. 

Meet the Researchers 
Dr. Pablo Macías-Torres, Sonja I. Friman, L. Christoffer Johansson, and Anders Hedenström are leading voices in flight ecology. Their collaboration with Picarro technology exemplifies how advanced tools can unlock new perspectives in animal physiology and migration science. 

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