Table 1.

List of study species, their measurements, and mean equivalent air speeds. Air speed is the mean of run means, and n is the number of runs.

species		body mass (kg)	wing span (m)	wing area (m2)	air speed (m s−1)	s.d. air speed (m s−1)	n
Sturnus vulgaris	Starling	0.0850	0.384	0.0251	15.4	1.71	33
Motacilla alba	Pied wagtail	0.0195	0.261	0.0127	13.3	0.810	13
Falco tinnunculus	Kestrel	0.229	0.771	0.0791	12.6	2.34	6
Accipiter gentilis	Goshawk	0.754	1.05	0.177	16.1	1.57	2
Haliaeetus albicilla	White-tailed eagle	4.00	2.19	0.713	14.4	1.04	13
Ardea cinerea	Grey heron	1.21	1.60	0.358	12.7	1.71	3
Cygnus olor	Mute swan	8.94	2.30	0.683	17.5	1.21	10
Anser anser	Greylag goose	3.65	1.60	0.333	19.0	1.93	22
Anser albifrons	White-fronted goose	2.45	1.38	0.239	17.8	2.37	10
Branta leucopsis	Barnacle goose	1.70	1.34	0.213	17.4	2.08	64
Branta bernicla	Brent goose	1.38	1.10	0.143	16.4	1.77	53
Anas platyrhynchos	Mallard	1.14	0.890	0.107	19.7	1.55	21
Anas crecca	Teal	0.231	0.597	0.0448	17.4	1.60	55
Anas penelope	Wigeon	0.770	0.822	0.0829	18.5	2.28	86
Clangula hyemalis	Long-tailed duck	0.636	0.690	0.058	19.7	1.70	13
Somateria mollissima	Eider	1.91	0.978	0.131	19.0	1.63	25
Mergus serrator	Red-breast merganser	0.908	0.860	0.0767	20.0	1.69	34
Phalacrocorax carbo	Cormorant	2.56	1.35	0.224	17.4	1.40	52
Gavia stellata	Red-throated diver	2.31	1.15	0.128	20.6	1.47	12
Limosa lapponica	Bar-tailed godwit	0.200	0.748	0.0568	14.4	1.97	6
Calidris canutus	Red knot	0.118	0.516	0.0293	16.1	3.51	4
Calidris alpina	Dunlin	0.0477	0.346	0.0147	16.1	1.13	17
Philomachus pugnax	Ruff	0.0895	0.472	0.0281	16.9	1.81	8
Charadrius hiaticula	Ringed plover	0.0618	0.384	0.0169	16.0	1.07	4
Pluvialis squatorola	Grey plover	0.258	0.630	0.0437	16.5	1.76	8
Haematopus ostralegus	Oystercatcher	0.403	0.852	0.0873	15.9	0.564	3
Sterna hirundo	Common tern	0.131	0.781	0.0507	11.0	1.83	21
Larus ridibundus	Black-headed gull	0.282	0.962	0.0982	11.4	1.47	36
Larus canus	Common gull	0.404	1.10	0.138	12.9	1.47	30
Larus argentatus	Herring gull	0.705	1.35	0.200	13.4	1.37	47
Larus fuscus	Lesser black-backed gull	0.818	1.34	0.190	14.4	1.34	7