PORTLAND, Ore. — A flight out of Portland International Airport was delayed last week when flight crew saw a owl in a plane. KGW reported that a barn owl was in the wheel well of a small PenAir plane.

The barn owl’s tail plays an unexpected role in flight by making the bird more aerodynamic, which may have implications for drone design. In aeronautical engineering, anything that provides lift – ...

Aerospace engineers have used studies of birds in flight to further research into improved aerodynamics, the development of shapeshifting wings, how mid-air collisions might be better avoided, and ...