How do birds go forward in flight?

Question

I understand that birds flap their wings to ascend. That makes sense. But how do birds go forward? How do they travel the x axis?

In: Biology

Answer 1

When they flap their wings they push **down and back**, not straight down. Also they **glide** the same as a plane does, or a plane glides the same as a bird does, so that they trade off a little altitude to maintain forward speed. Lastly hot air rises and causes **thermals** which are cylinders of hot rising air. Birds can glide in a circle inside a thermal and be lifted up by the rising hot air.