Perching Papers

Tobalske.pdf "Aerodynamics of wing-assisted incline running in birds" -- Study to determine how birds lift off of incline surfaces. Concludes that wing flapping pushes birds both up and toward the surface to increase friction

• See also PartridgeThrust and FlightlessWings

Norberg.pdf "Treecreeper Climbing; Mechanics, Energetics, and Structural Adaptations" -- Very detailed description of how the scavenging Treecreeper climbs. Includes discussion of similarities with other scavenging birds along with detailed analysis of energy expenditure during different parts of the bird's gait. These birds can climb several vertical kilometers in one day.

@article{Norberg1986,
   Author = {Norberg, R. Ake},
   Date-Modified = {2010-09-05 15:42:37 -0700},
   Journal = {Ornis Scandinavica},
   Keywords = {http://www.jstor.org/stable/3676828},
   Number = {3},
   Pages = {191-209},
   Title = {Treecreeper Climbing; Mechanics, Energetics, and Structural Adaptations},
   Volume = {17},
   Year = {1986}}

Cutkosky.pdf "Scaling hard vertical surfaces with compliant microspine arrays"

BockAndMiller.pdf "The Scansorial Foot of the Woodpeckers, with Comments on the Evolution of Perching and Climbing Feet in Birds" -- Very cool paper on the evolution of woodpecker feet. The woodpecker is forced to sit for long periods of time while foraging, but also climb vertically periodically. Includes discussion of horizontal versus vertical toe position, toe length and curvature. Old paper but good.
Note added by MarkCutkosky -- decided to add this link here because it fits in context

@article{Bock1959,
   Author = {Bock, Walter J. and Miller, Waldron DeWitt},
   Date-Modified = {2010-09-05 13:59:30 -0700},
   Journal = {American Museum Novitates},
   Keywords = {http://hdl.handle.net/2246/5316},
   Month = {March},
   Number = {1931},
   Publisher = {The American Museum of Natural History},
   Title = {The Scansorial Foot of the Woodpeckers, with Comments on the 
Evolution of Perching and Climbing Feet in Birds},
   Year = {1959}}

Curved Beam Bistable Mechanism "A Curved Beam Bistable Mechanism" By Jin Qiu, Jeffrey Lang, Alexander Slocum -- Discussion of how a curved beam is a bistable mechanism, requires a certain amount of force to push the beam from a period of bending stress through a period dominated by compressive stress to its other equilibrium position. Uses beam deflection and buckling formulas along with energy equations to come up with equations for the force required to dislodge a bistable curved beam.