can birds sense proximity by way of, like landing, launching etc

doubt’s much WIG effect in the image example, but it’s the finer aspects of sensing things related i’m interested in

WIG?

Wide Intestinal Guess?

The Rev Dodgson said:

WIG?

Wide Intestinal Guess?

wing in ground effect

transition said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

WIG?

Wide Intestinal Guess?

wing in ground effect

OK.

It seems likely to me that birds can sense the ground when they are close to, although (not being a bird) I have no evidence for that.

Why don’t you think it would be significant in the photo?

The Rev Dodgson said:

transition said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

WIG?

Wide Intestinal Guess?

wing in ground effect

OK.

It seems likely to me that birds can sense the ground when they are close to, although (not being a bird) I have no evidence for that.

Why don’t you think it would be significant in the photo?

something to do with wing surface area, and distance to water surface.

though I’m wondering if those birds can sense the water surface variations/waves.

> I’m wondering if those birds can sense the water surface variations/waves.

Heck yes. I can sense it and I’m much less sensitive to wind pressure variations than a bird is, because of my greater weight and lesser need.

How can I prove it? I can’t think of a way. But there are at least four ways that a bird can sense small variations in wind pressure.
One is directly – buffeting, shaking, proprioception.
A second is by skin temperature changes, like I sense a light breeze by noting where on my skin it changes temperature.
A third would be by torque applied to feathers, the cat equivalent would be sensing using whiskers.
A fourth way would be by sound, the sound of the bubbles bursting underneath is a simple measure of the sea’s roughness.