Bird Flight Research Center Breaks Ground

A new research center to study how bird flight can influence aircraft design broke ground this fall at the University of California, Davis.

The bird flight research center is led by Christina Harvey, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC Davis, in collaboration with Michelle Hawkins, a professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine and director of the California Raptor Center. It is anticipated to open in the spring.

Animal technician Kyle Buehring handles Jack, a red-tailed hawk residing at the California Raptor Center. (Mario Rodriguez/UC Davis)

The new center, funded by a nearly $3 million grant from the Department of Defense, or DOD, will be the first-of-its-kind in the country. It will utilize motion capture and photogrammetry — which uses photography to determine the distance between objects — technologies to image birds in flight and create 3D models of the wing shapes to inform the design and capabilities of the next generation of uncrewed aerial systems, or UAS.

"I am thrilled to see this facility start to come to life and that we will soon be able to welcome our collaborators from around the campus, the U.S. and the world," said Harvey. "I am grateful for our fantastic team, including the supportive individuals from the California Raptor Center, partners in engineering and veterinary medicine, Design and Construction Management, the contractors, and the students and researchers. We are excited and ready to contribute to a deeper understanding of the world around us."

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