How does an owl’s tail help it fly? To understand the role of the tail is raptor aerodynamics, researchers at the UK’s Royal Veterinary College recorded the motion of tiny helium bubbles as they were swirled about by birds of prey flying through them. According to the science journal Nature, the videos enabled the scientists to discover “a new way in which birds use their tail to provide lift and so reduce drag while gliding… Their findings could provide a new way to improve the efficiency of small gliding aircraft.”
More: “High aerodynamic lift from the tail reduces drag in gliding raptors” (Journal of Experimental Biology)
Source: Incredible slo-mo video of raptors flying through bubble clouds… for science