Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) flock 'whiffling' down out of a blue sky. French:

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Whiffling is a term used in ornithology to describe the behaviour whereby a bird rapidly descends with a zig-zagging, side-slipping motion. Sometimes to whiffle, a bird flies briefly with its body turned upside down but with its neck and head twisted 180 degrees around in a normal position. The aerodynamics which usually give a bird lift during flying are thereby inverted and the bird briefly plummets toward the ground before this is quickly reversed and the bird adopts a normal flying orientation. This erratic motion resembles a falling leaf, and is used to avoid avian predators or may be used by geese (family Anatidae) to avoid a long, slow descent over an area where wild-fowling is practised. The behavior is seen in several species including lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes), the black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa), the northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), geese ( pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus)), three species of scoter (Melanitta), and other members of the family Anatidae

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Size: 5574px × 3169px
Location: Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © fotolincs / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: austernfischer, behaviour, birds, euroasiático, flight, huîtrier, ostrero, oystercatcher, pie, waders, whiffling