Masters of the Sky
Exploring how animals effortlessly beat gravity. Why peregrine falcons can top 200 miles an hour and how heavyweight beetles break the rules to find love.
With the help of some surprising creatures from around the world, this series sets out to discover how animals take to the air, defying the force all airborne animals must conquer, gravity.
This episode looks at powered flight, revealing why peregrine falcons can top 200 miles an hour, how a hummingbird is a slave to its own rather manic lifestyle and that the albatross's secret to flying for free is its nose.
Heavyweight beetles break the rules to find love, a devious sparrow-hawk uses agility to execute a lightning-fast raid on his prey, and half a million mother bats dominate the sky above, and below, the ground with a dazzling display of aerial prowess.
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Clips
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Web exclusive: How computer graphics reveal invisible forces
Duration: 02:09
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How Japanese rhinoceros beetles stay in the air
Duration: 01:40
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How swans take-off
Duration: 02:43
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An aerial assassin at work
Duration: 02:49
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Suranne Jones |
| Series Producer | James Brickell |
| Producer | Giles Badger |
Broadcasts
How the sequences in Life in the Air have been created
Get a unique perspective on a sparrowhawk hunt.
