Airborne

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0:00:06 > 0:00:09'Welcome to my Deadly Top 10.'

0:00:10 > 0:00:12Oh!

0:00:14 > 0:00:17'A chance to choose the most extreme, mass attacking,

0:00:17 > 0:00:21'defending, airborne and super-sensing animals

0:00:21 > 0:00:22'on the planet.'

0:00:22 > 0:00:24Quick, quick, quick!

0:00:24 > 0:00:27'Deadly in their own world, occasionally deadly to me.'

0:00:27 > 0:00:28STEVE YELLS

0:00:28 > 0:00:33'Who do you think will be Number One of the Deadly Top 10?'

0:00:40 > 0:00:43'In this countdown, I'm choosing my Top 10 airborne assassins.

0:00:45 > 0:00:48'Ten creatures that head to the skies.'

0:00:48 > 0:00:50- STEVE YELLS - Crikey!

0:00:50 > 0:00:53'Soaring, leaping,

0:00:53 > 0:00:55'fluttering and flapping,

0:00:55 > 0:00:59'each one must defy gravity to survive.

0:00:59 > 0:01:02'Because success lies in being airborne.'

0:01:08 > 0:01:11'Time to kick off my Top 10 airborne countdown.'

0:01:14 > 0:01:17'Getting us off the ground at 10 is a high-diving, hovering hero...

0:01:19 > 0:01:24'Let's take a look at their finely tuned aerial stunts.'

0:01:24 > 0:01:29Just about ten metres ahead of me is a pied kingfisher

0:01:29 > 0:01:32and he's sat, just looking down into the water.

0:01:32 > 0:01:35There's two more just over there.

0:01:35 > 0:01:37Yes!

0:01:39 > 0:01:42And again! This is amazing, absolutely amazing.

0:01:42 > 0:01:44I don't believe it!

0:01:44 > 0:01:47Almost every time it's coming up with something.

0:01:47 > 0:01:50Usually very small fish, possibly even shellfish,

0:01:50 > 0:01:53but the success ratio is extraordinary.

0:01:56 > 0:01:59Yes! Right on cue.

0:02:02 > 0:02:06The hunting technique that's going on here is

0:02:06 > 0:02:09as extraordinary as anything by a large predator.

0:02:09 > 0:02:12It's having to judge distance down in murky water,

0:02:12 > 0:02:18and come up with a slithery, slimy, moving prey item.

0:02:18 > 0:02:23And it's doing it again, there! With amazing amounts of success.

0:02:23 > 0:02:26'So, how does this fisher king achieve such a high hit rate?

0:02:26 > 0:02:30'Let's take a closer look at his aerial exploits.'

0:02:33 > 0:02:38'At ten metres above the surface, it cannot be seen by its prey.

0:02:38 > 0:02:41'To locate a fish, it must keep its head perfectly still,

0:02:41 > 0:02:45'and the tail is used to keep it stationary.

0:02:45 > 0:02:48'Its wings beat at eight times a second.

0:02:48 > 0:02:54'Once it's locked onto its target, it begins a controlled descent.'

0:02:57 > 0:03:01'Shaped like an arrow, the beak hardly makes a ripple,

0:03:01 > 0:03:05'powering into the water with pinpoint accuracy,

0:03:05 > 0:03:06'it snatches the prize.

0:03:06 > 0:03:10'And it does all of this in the blink of an eye.

0:03:10 > 0:03:14'A superbly speedy, hovering, helicopter hero,

0:03:14 > 0:03:17'and my awesome airborne number 10.'

0:03:19 > 0:03:22'So who's next in this up-in-the-air race?

0:03:22 > 0:03:24'How's about my number 9?'

0:03:28 > 0:03:34'These tiny carnivorous flies are in-flight insect munchers.

0:03:35 > 0:03:40'Thousands of them are stationed across the High Plains of Colorado.

0:03:40 > 0:03:43'With their sublime eyesight, they scour the horizon.

0:03:43 > 0:03:48'Anything fluttering through their airspace is asking for trouble.'

0:03:53 > 0:03:57'Armed with a crash helmet of bristles and rocket-powered wings,

0:03:57 > 0:04:01'they're perfectly adapted to snatching prey in mid-air.

0:04:01 > 0:04:03'And a bee has just been spotted.

0:04:05 > 0:04:07'They all scramble to intercept.

0:04:09 > 0:04:12'One makes a mid-air grab and crash-lands with its bounty,

0:04:12 > 0:04:16'where it will inject a toxin that liquefies their insides.

0:04:16 > 0:04:21'A gooey lunch for a fearsome, flighty, robbing rogue.'

0:04:28 > 0:04:33'Swooping in to slot number 8 is a parachuting trooper...

0:04:38 > 0:04:41'..a reptile who loves to get airborne.

0:04:44 > 0:04:48'Gliding through the jungles of South East Asia,

0:04:48 > 0:04:53'these formidable, pocket-sized predators defy gravity to survive.'

0:04:55 > 0:04:58This really is one of the most remarkable lizards

0:04:58 > 0:05:00found in the whole world.

0:05:00 > 0:05:03The scientific name is the Draco.

0:05:03 > 0:05:07The common name, though, is rather more illustrative.

0:05:07 > 0:05:12These are called "flying lizards". And I'll show you why.

0:05:12 > 0:05:18The ribs expand and the flap of skin between them

0:05:18 > 0:05:22actually creates a kind of parachute.

0:05:22 > 0:05:24These lizards don't truly fly, they glide.

0:05:29 > 0:05:33'When out hunting ants and termites, escaping from predators

0:05:33 > 0:05:34'or fighting rivals,

0:05:34 > 0:05:39'these sky-diving dragons simply launch themselves into the air.'

0:05:42 > 0:05:46'They can glide enormous distances, up to 60 metres.

0:05:48 > 0:05:51'That's the length of six double-decker buses.

0:05:51 > 0:05:54'Not bad for an animal the size of a teacup!'

0:05:55 > 0:05:58I'd really like to show you them at work.

0:05:58 > 0:06:01So, we need to get as high as possible

0:06:01 > 0:06:03and allow the Draco to escape.

0:06:03 > 0:06:08And it should parachute down towards Earth, or towards another tree.

0:06:10 > 0:06:14OK, if I just stand up on this tree and aim it over there, let's see.

0:06:18 > 0:06:22'With the camera slowed right down, you see just how controlled

0:06:22 > 0:06:26'and elegant the glide of this lizard really is.'

0:06:28 > 0:06:31But, at the same, though it is very good at evading predators,

0:06:31 > 0:06:35it is also a fabulous tree top muncher itself.

0:06:35 > 0:06:37So, it'll scamper around in the canopy

0:06:37 > 0:06:40looking for little bugs to munch down.

0:06:40 > 0:06:43And all the time it has that wonderful defence on its side.

0:06:43 > 0:06:46They are absolutely awesome.

0:06:49 > 0:06:53'So, we've had a giant hovering kingfisher,

0:06:53 > 0:06:56'a band of crash-landing robber flies

0:06:56 > 0:07:00'and the glorious, gliding Draco lizard.

0:07:00 > 0:07:03'So who's next to lift off in this skyward race?'

0:07:05 > 0:07:09'Springing in to slot number 7 is a bit of a surprise...'

0:07:17 > 0:07:20'Proving you don't need wings to get airborne,

0:07:20 > 0:07:24'this fearsome little hunter bounces around on top of the world.

0:07:24 > 0:07:29'Life up here on Mount Everest amongst the glaciers is tough.

0:07:29 > 0:07:33'But these spiders have a springy solution.

0:07:33 > 0:07:36'Using hydraulic pressure to power their legs like pistons,

0:07:36 > 0:07:41'they catapult themselves up to 30 times their own body length.

0:07:41 > 0:07:44'It's the perfect way to travel in rocky terrain.

0:07:44 > 0:07:47'And they even fasten a spool of silk,

0:07:47 > 0:07:51'which works as a safety line and keeps them secure.

0:07:51 > 0:07:55'Their eight eyes include a huge central pair,

0:07:55 > 0:07:58'which act like binoculars to spot potential prey.

0:07:58 > 0:08:01'This springtail has no idea it's being stalked

0:08:01 > 0:08:05'by such an all-terrain specialist.'

0:08:14 > 0:08:21'A high-altitude heavyweight and a bouncing, pouncing champion.'

0:08:22 > 0:08:26'Swashbuckling into slot number 6 is a pirate of the seven skies...'

0:08:32 > 0:08:34'Magnificent by name and nature.

0:08:34 > 0:08:37'Male birds have splendid built-in balloons,

0:08:37 > 0:08:40'which they inflate during courtship to attract females.

0:08:40 > 0:08:44'But don't be fooled by these pretty puffballs,

0:08:44 > 0:08:47'because when they take to the skies,

0:08:47 > 0:08:51'they become feathery bullies and tormenters.'

0:08:55 > 0:08:58'Anything they can steal, they do,

0:08:58 > 0:09:04'even nesting material from their own neighbours.'

0:09:15 > 0:09:19'And a blue-footed booby soon loses its lunch.

0:09:19 > 0:09:22'I can't believe how cheeky they are!

0:09:22 > 0:09:25'He just pinched that right out of its mouth!

0:09:25 > 0:09:28'But, these frigates need to be nasty.

0:09:29 > 0:09:33'Without a victory, their chicks might starve.'

0:09:35 > 0:09:37'Equipped with long, pointy wings

0:09:37 > 0:09:41that are lighter for their size than any other bird's,

0:09:41 > 0:09:45'they can glide for hours on the tiniest puff of wind.

0:09:45 > 0:09:47'They need their airborne agility

0:09:47 > 0:09:50'to outperform anything in their airspace.'

0:09:56 > 0:09:59'This tropic bird has a belly full of fish,

0:09:59 > 0:10:03'and the frigates will need to shake it until it regurgitates its catch.'

0:10:11 > 0:10:13'It's an aerial dogfight.'

0:10:22 > 0:10:24'But for all their bravado,

0:10:24 > 0:10:27'these glossy black jet planes are not actually sea-worthy.

0:10:27 > 0:10:30'They have so little oil in their feathers,

0:10:30 > 0:10:32'they can't risk ditching.

0:10:32 > 0:10:35'Water is the frigate's Achilles heel.

0:10:35 > 0:10:38'If they're to secure a bootlegged breakfast,

0:10:38 > 0:10:43'they have to catch it mid-flight, or lose out all together.'

0:10:48 > 0:10:51'Their aerial acrobatics have paid off

0:10:51 > 0:10:55'and their chicks won't go hungry tonight.'

0:10:58 > 0:11:00'So, we're halfway through.

0:11:00 > 0:11:03'Time to touch down, refuel and recap.

0:11:03 > 0:11:05'We've had a fluttering fisher king,

0:11:05 > 0:11:08'a buzzy, brutal robber fly,

0:11:08 > 0:11:10'a drifting Draco lizard,

0:11:10 > 0:11:13'a leaping, lethal jumping spider

0:11:13 > 0:11:16'and the thieving, weaving magnificent frigate.

0:11:16 > 0:11:20'Five places gone, but five even higher flyers to come.'

0:11:20 > 0:11:25'And next we have an airborne hunter that performs mind-blowing stunts.

0:11:25 > 0:11:27'At number 5, it's...'

0:11:30 > 0:11:33'And I've come to a British woodland

0:11:33 > 0:11:36'to meet a very special captive bird called Ellie.'

0:11:36 > 0:11:40Goshawks typically breed and hunt in mature woodlands

0:11:40 > 0:11:43and hunting in here is all about dodging obstacles,

0:11:43 > 0:11:45and being able to ambush your prey.

0:11:45 > 0:11:46BIRD CRIES

0:11:46 > 0:11:49Because of that, she has a very different design

0:11:49 > 0:11:51and quite a loud voice, as you can hear.

0:11:51 > 0:11:55I'm not sure if she'll let me show you this, but the wings...

0:11:55 > 0:11:57Come on, sweetheart.

0:11:57 > 0:12:04..are shorter and more rounded, and she has this wonderful

0:12:04 > 0:12:07fan-shaped tail.

0:12:07 > 0:12:12There you go. This is like a rudder, steering her amongst the trees.

0:12:12 > 0:12:15To show you just how awesome she can be in full predatory mode,

0:12:15 > 0:12:19we're going to have her hunt something a bit bigger than normal.

0:12:19 > 0:12:20Me.

0:12:25 > 0:12:28The trees are very tightly packed together

0:12:28 > 0:12:32and for a bird as big as the goshawk, really it's going

0:12:32 > 0:12:39to have to dodge and weave in and out with incredible manoeuvrability.

0:12:41 > 0:12:45OK, whenever you're ready, really, Lloyd!

0:13:00 > 0:13:02- STEVE YELLS - Crikey!

0:13:02 > 0:13:04STEVE LAUGHS

0:13:04 > 0:13:07The force of that as she hits you.

0:13:07 > 0:13:12I didn't hear a sound. She just belted me!

0:13:12 > 0:13:15'That was phenomenal!

0:13:15 > 0:13:17'Look how she uses her tail like a rudder to duck

0:13:17 > 0:13:19'and dive between those trees.

0:13:19 > 0:13:23'And by taking our experiment up a notch,

0:13:23 > 0:13:27'we can show you Ellie's aerial acrobatics at their very best.

0:13:27 > 0:13:30'By folding her wings and swinging her talons forward,

0:13:30 > 0:13:35'she can squeeze through the tiniest gap and hardly loses any speed.

0:13:38 > 0:13:42'Ellie seems able to mould her body to any shape.

0:13:44 > 0:13:47'She can even keep herself tightly wrapped up

0:13:47 > 0:13:49'to rocket through tunnels.

0:13:51 > 0:13:53'Incredible.'

0:13:56 > 0:13:59'And all of this serves a purpose.

0:13:59 > 0:14:03'With three hungry, demanding chicks, these speeding, silent,

0:14:03 > 0:14:07'jumbo jet fighters must work hard to bring down a wide range

0:14:07 > 0:14:11'of invertebrates, birds and even small mammals.

0:14:11 > 0:14:17'A true terror of the forest, and a sublime airborne number 5.'

0:14:20 > 0:14:23'So, what can beat that?

0:14:23 > 0:14:25'How's about a toxic tyrant, in at 4?

0:14:28 > 0:14:32'A fast-flying, buzzy bundle of deadliness,

0:14:32 > 0:14:34'that we can hear before we see.'

0:14:35 > 0:14:39Oh, there's one, look! 'These wasps are the largest in the world,

0:14:39 > 0:14:43'and this giant female is searching for a tarantula.'

0:14:43 > 0:14:47- Yes, she's coming this way, Steve. - 'Their flight is loud and low

0:14:47 > 0:14:49'and their wings are brightly coloured,

0:14:49 > 0:14:53'to act as a warning that they're heavily armed.'

0:14:53 > 0:14:55Here it comes, here it comes!

0:14:57 > 0:15:02What he's doing at the moment is just circling around this area,

0:15:02 > 0:15:04trying to find his food.

0:15:08 > 0:15:10OK.

0:15:10 > 0:15:12All right.

0:15:12 > 0:15:14Going to be ever so careful how I do this,

0:15:14 > 0:15:21because the tarantula hawk wasp has a sting that's reputed to be

0:15:21 > 0:15:25the most painful of any invertebrate.

0:15:25 > 0:15:29- Oh, he's off! No, come back! - He's coming his way, Steve.- Right.

0:15:32 > 0:15:38Got it. Got it. Right, now, this time you are not getting away.

0:15:38 > 0:15:42Got to be ever so careful, because I don't want to damage her,

0:15:42 > 0:15:47but also her sting is absolutely paralysing.

0:15:49 > 0:15:52There she is.

0:15:52 > 0:15:57That is the tarantula hawk wasp,

0:15:57 > 0:16:00or Pepsis wasp.

0:16:00 > 0:16:01And she is...

0:16:04 > 0:16:08..one of the most incredible predators

0:16:08 > 0:16:10found anywhere in the world.

0:16:13 > 0:16:15Right, there we go.

0:16:15 > 0:16:18Look at that. Glorious, glorious colour.

0:16:18 > 0:16:23Very vibrant, metallic blue, with bright orange wings.

0:16:23 > 0:16:26But don't let her beauty fool you.

0:16:26 > 0:16:30This is one of the most grotesque killers in the whole

0:16:30 > 0:16:32of the animal kingdom.

0:16:32 > 0:16:36'Because these monster insects are spider munchers.

0:16:36 > 0:16:38'When a female wasp locates a spider,

0:16:38 > 0:16:42'it will outmanoeuvre it like a kung fu maestro,

0:16:42 > 0:16:46'and deliver a single paralysing sting.

0:16:46 > 0:16:49'The spider's still alive, but completely defenceless.'

0:16:51 > 0:16:54'This is only half the story.

0:16:54 > 0:16:56'The paralysed spider is then dragged by the wasp

0:16:56 > 0:17:00'to a safe burrow, where it will lay an egg, which hatches into a maggot,

0:17:00 > 0:17:05'which slowly devours the spider while it's still alive.

0:17:05 > 0:17:09'A flighty, mighty, stinging sensation that had me

0:17:09 > 0:17:11'running round in circles.'

0:17:11 > 0:17:14'Hitting turbulence at 3, I have a choice of two

0:17:14 > 0:17:17'fluttering, fingered furries...

0:17:21 > 0:17:23'Both have fabulous fingertip control,

0:17:23 > 0:17:26'but which will I choose to be my airspace ace?'

0:17:28 > 0:17:31'First up, let's look at the Natterer's.

0:17:31 > 0:17:35'This little bat is a ferocious hunter of venomous prey.

0:17:35 > 0:17:39'Tonight, it's after the eight-legged kind.'

0:17:40 > 0:17:44'Spiders are very nutritious, but this one's sitting in the

0:17:44 > 0:17:49'centre of a sticky web that could easily entangle a winged assailant.

0:17:49 > 0:17:53'But the Natterer's bat has aerial control at its fingertips,

0:17:53 > 0:17:56'because these wings are hands.

0:17:58 > 0:18:03'And like us, bats can flex and bend their fingers independently,

0:18:03 > 0:18:06'allowing them to fine tune their flight.

0:18:06 > 0:18:08'This spider is a sitting target.'

0:18:13 > 0:18:16'Navigating the microscopically thin threads,

0:18:16 > 0:18:18'he plucks the spider from its lair.

0:18:19 > 0:18:24'With ultimate aeronautical precision, the Natterer's bat

0:18:24 > 0:18:27'uses sonar to judge which side of the web the spider

0:18:27 > 0:18:32'is sitting on, and even reverses away to avoid getting entangled.'

0:18:37 > 0:18:40'What a sensational catch!'

0:18:45 > 0:18:48'But, if you thought that was extraordinary,

0:18:48 > 0:18:50'wait until you meet our next competitor...

0:18:53 > 0:18:54'..a flying fisherman.'

0:18:58 > 0:19:02'Here in Central America, a fish swimming just below the surface

0:19:02 > 0:19:05'creates a tell-tale ripple, and that's all the bat needs.'

0:19:12 > 0:19:15'From over two metres away, flying at incredible speed,

0:19:15 > 0:19:19'it takes aim, swoops in low

0:19:19 > 0:19:22'and totally wings it!'

0:19:25 > 0:19:29'If the shoal scatters, the bat trawls the surface, breaking

0:19:29 > 0:19:33'the water with its large, taloned feet,

0:19:33 > 0:19:36'and impaling unsuspecting victims.

0:19:37 > 0:19:39'But he's not here alone.

0:19:39 > 0:19:42'Oncoming traffic makes fishing much more tricky.

0:19:42 > 0:19:46'However, these bats have an in-built collision avoidance system.

0:19:46 > 0:19:50'By dropping their calls an octave, they honk at each other

0:19:50 > 0:19:54'and keep the airspace a crash-free zone.'

0:19:59 > 0:20:03'So, which do you think should get a spot in my Top 10?

0:20:03 > 0:20:05'A spider-snatching supremo?

0:20:05 > 0:20:09'Or a traffic-calming fish scooper?'

0:20:10 > 0:20:15'Well, although the greater bulldog bat is a mighty fine fly fisher,

0:20:15 > 0:20:19'it's the Natterer's spot-on precision that bags it third place.'

0:20:22 > 0:20:24'Only two places left.

0:20:24 > 0:20:27'Time to bring out the up-in-the-air superstars.

0:20:27 > 0:20:30'And soaring into second place...

0:20:32 > 0:20:33'..a bone-smashing vulture.'

0:20:38 > 0:20:43'5,000 metres above the magnificent Simien Mountains of Ethiopia,

0:20:43 > 0:20:46this lammergeier is searching for a meal.

0:20:46 > 0:20:50'His two and a half metre wingspan can carry him many miles a day,

0:20:50 > 0:20:53'and on the cliffs below he spies an opportunity.'

0:20:56 > 0:20:59'This carcass has been stripped clean,

0:20:59 > 0:21:03'but it's exactly what the lammergeier's been looking for.'

0:21:05 > 0:21:10'It's not meat he's after, but bones.'

0:21:19 > 0:21:22'Bones contain rich, juicy marrow fat,

0:21:22 > 0:21:26'but not even his razor-sharp beak or mighty talons

0:21:26 > 0:21:28'can crack these four kilo lumps.'

0:21:31 > 0:21:35'So, the lammergeiers have come up with an extraordinary solution,

0:21:35 > 0:21:37'thanks to their flying skills.'

0:21:39 > 0:21:41'Soaring up on thermal air currents,

0:21:41 > 0:21:47'he positions the bone parallel to his body to minimise drag

0:21:47 > 0:21:52'and glides to a place where there are giant rock slabs beneath.'

0:21:54 > 0:21:58'At the perfect height, he lets go.'

0:22:04 > 0:22:08'The bone is smashed and the marrow released.

0:22:08 > 0:22:12'With juices in his stomach more corrosive than battery acid,

0:22:12 > 0:22:15'the lammergeier can feast on the fragments.

0:22:16 > 0:22:20'Just look at him swallow those chunks!'

0:22:25 > 0:22:30'Proficient bone-smashing takes endless target practice

0:22:30 > 0:22:34'and this youngster's working hard to find just the right height,

0:22:34 > 0:22:37'speed and moment of release.'

0:22:39 > 0:22:44'It's a superb airborne strategy and a gravity-smashing number 2.'

0:22:47 > 0:22:52'So, if the cloud-cruising lammergeier isn't number 1, who is?

0:22:52 > 0:22:54'It's time for my Top 10 airborne countdown.

0:22:54 > 0:22:59'Sky-diving 10, it's the wondrous, winged...

0:22:59 > 0:23:03'Mid-air 9, those brutal...

0:23:03 > 0:23:06'Parachuting into 8, the soaring...

0:23:06 > 0:23:09'On top of the world at 7, the hurdling...

0:23:10 > 0:23:14'Stunt pilot 6...

0:23:14 > 0:23:17'Acrobatic 5, the fearsome, flexible...

0:23:17 > 0:23:21'Fluttering 4, the toxic...

0:23:21 > 0:23:25'Hands up at 3, the flighty fingered...

0:23:25 > 0:23:28'Jumbo jet two, the bone-bouncing...

0:23:28 > 0:23:31'So, who's won this gravity-defying race? Any ideas?'

0:23:31 > 0:23:38'Well, it's the kestrel! A hovering world champion.'

0:23:40 > 0:23:43Ashley, here, is a falconry bird, and his owner, Lloyd,

0:23:43 > 0:23:47has taught him to hover in exactly the way that a wild bird would do.

0:23:47 > 0:23:50Lloyd's waiting down the grass, pretending to be a vole

0:23:50 > 0:23:53and Ashley looks keen.

0:23:53 > 0:23:56Let's see if we can get him to hover.

0:23:57 > 0:23:59Yes! Look at that!

0:23:59 > 0:24:03Actually, he's not even having to beat his wings.

0:24:03 > 0:24:04Just turning into the wind,

0:24:04 > 0:24:08and allowing the wind to come underneath the wings...

0:24:08 > 0:24:10Oh, wow!

0:24:10 > 0:24:12That was classic! And he's back up again.

0:24:18 > 0:24:22'Kestrels hunt animals like voles, and by turning into the wind,

0:24:22 > 0:24:25'air is constantly driven under their wings, creating lift,

0:24:25 > 0:24:27'while its head remains stationary.'

0:24:30 > 0:24:34Look at that. He's almost like a child's kite.

0:24:34 > 0:24:37There's no fluttering of the wings going on,

0:24:37 > 0:24:41he's just purely using the wind.

0:24:41 > 0:24:44'Hovering allows the bird to manoeuvre itself

0:24:44 > 0:24:46'into the perfect striking position.

0:24:46 > 0:24:50'Hanging effortlessly in mid-air.'

0:24:50 > 0:24:52- Oh! - STEVE LAUGHS

0:24:52 > 0:24:55The speed as it comes through!

0:24:55 > 0:24:58That's where you can really see that this is a falcon.

0:24:58 > 0:25:01'Keeping its head still means our kestrel can pinpoint

0:25:01 > 0:25:07'its target, in this case the lure, then plunge done to the grass.'

0:25:07 > 0:25:09Yes! Wow!

0:25:09 > 0:25:14Now that was a classic falcon strike. Thank you, Lloyd.

0:25:14 > 0:25:17I mean, he's just so beautiful.

0:25:18 > 0:25:22The kestrel is unquestionably the master of hovering.

0:25:22 > 0:25:26But honestly, how hard can it be?

0:25:30 > 0:25:33'I've come to the world's largest vertical wind tunnel,

0:25:33 > 0:25:35'to have a go at hovering myself.'

0:25:54 > 0:25:58So, it's all about just relaxing, just holding still.

0:25:59 > 0:26:03The kestrel can keep its head in exactly the same position

0:26:03 > 0:26:08as it makes all these tiny micro adjustments with its feathers,

0:26:08 > 0:26:13to just keep itself in as steady a position as possible.

0:26:47 > 0:26:49STEVE YELLS

0:26:50 > 0:26:52Oh!

0:26:54 > 0:26:58Oh! Awesome, absolutely awesome!

0:26:59 > 0:27:02'So, there's no doubt about it.

0:27:02 > 0:27:07'Alongside sharp talons, a strong beak and powerful eyesight,

0:27:07 > 0:27:10'with their wind-surfing capabilities and sky diving strategy

0:27:10 > 0:27:14'our very own kestrel is undisputed king of hovering.

0:27:16 > 0:27:20'And my ultimate airborne number 1.'

0:27:26 > 0:27:29'So, seatbelt sign off.

0:27:29 > 0:27:32That's Top 10 Airborne sorted.'

0:27:34 > 0:27:39'Don't forget to join me next time for more Deadly Top 10s.

0:27:39 > 0:27:43'And who's going to be the next Deadly number 1?'

0:27:43 > 0:27:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd