Eli5. Seagulls and other seabirds appear to defy physics when flying against the wind.

Question

I often see seagulls fly directly into a fierce wind, sometimes hardly flapping their wings. How is that even possible?

In: 0

Answer 1

Seabirds are *very* powerful flyers even by bird standards. They can weather fierce arctic sea storms and fly for thousands of miles without rest.

A windy day in Indiana is barely an inconvenience.

They have very long and streamlined wings to provide significant lifting and flight power, at the expense of agility. If you ever see a particularly aggravated seagull at full extension, their wingspan is 5+ feet on a bird that’s barely a foot tall.