We envy birds their mastery of the air, watching them enjoy the freedom of a 3 dimensional space. Flight allows them to get to hard to reach places and preform aerial acrobatics in protecting home ranges and searching for food. But it’s not always easy – it takes a lot of effort to graduate air school and there is a new bunch of cadets arriving all hoping to get their wings.

There are different techniques for enjoying the air; the Andean condor is one of the largest flying birds. Its broad, 3 metre wings catch thermals – hot air that rises from the mountains, to glide effortlessly for hours. It hardly ever needs to flap. The tiny hummingbird on the other hand flaps 90 times a second and must feed constantly to power their highly energetic flight. #fullepisode #animals #documentary #wildlife #birds