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There's research that they use dynamic soaring more, getting energy from the different wind speeds at sea level and a bit above https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMX2wCJga8g

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Gotta love the end of the video aha! But the whole video is very interesting. As a kayaker myself I can definitely “feel” the phenomenon they are talking about of extracting energy by alternating on two sides of a flow gradient.

Next up in kayagliding...

That is very interesting. I always assumed sea birds used combination of wing in ground effect [1] and the lift of wind hitting the front of waves to cover long distance, but this explanation makes much more sense for birds crossing oceans.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkVVnx70FgI

Edit: It just occurred to me that the albatross is in some way surfing the wind in much the same way a surfer pumps along a wave to generate speed.

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