Original subtitles

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

NARRATOR: Animals have taken to the air

in ways we can only dream of.

in ways we can only dream of.

(BUZZING)

And conquered the skies...

And conquered the skies...

..with determination and courage,

they've dared to defy gravity...

they've dared to defy gravity...

..opening up a whole new world of opportunity...

..and danger.

(MUSIC SWELLS)

(CHIRPING)

Whether it's to find food...

..forge new paths...

..or secure the next generation...

..every flying creature hopes to gain the advantage

..every flying creature hopes to gain the advantage

by reaching skyward.

From the novices,

From the novices,

who must learn to soar...

..to the Aeronauts without wings...

..and the masters,

who've taken aviation to the very limit

who've taken aviation to the very limit

and perfected the art of flying.

Meet the remarkable animals

with the ultimate super power.

The ice-capped peaks of the southern Andes mountains.

A vast, imposing landscape.

A vast, imposing landscape.

Towering above the grasslands of Patagonia.

This wild place

This wild place

is home to the world's heaviest soaring bird...

..the Andean condor.

Weighing up to 15kg,

Weighing up to 15kg,

these birds have overcome one of the greatest challenges...

..to defy gravity

and lift their heavy bodies into air.

and lift their heavy bodies into air.

They keep themselves aloft

with an enormous 3m wingspan.

with an enormous 3m wingspan.

But there's another vital ingredient

they need to stay airborne...

they need to stay airborne...

..wind.

Here in Patagonia

it never stops blowing.

But harnessing its energy has to be learnt.

But harnessing its energy has to be learnt.

At six months old,

this young male is almost as big as an adult.

But he's only just started to use his wings.

Staying close to his mum...

Staying close to his mum...

..he lacks confidence.

He's still just a chick on the inside.

To become independent

To become independent

he must learn to launch from height.

And to do that, she's brought him to this special place.

And to do that, she's brought him to this special place.

On the windward slopes of the Andes...

..over a thousand metres high...

..this citadel acts as a condor flight school.

..this citadel acts as a condor flight school.

Its young students practise their gliding

by riding the updraughts that rise off these spires and buttresses.

by riding the updraughts that rise off these spires and buttresses.

But this territory is disputed.

(EAGLE SQUAWKS)

A black-chested buzzard eagle.

She's fiercely aggressive towards anything invading her airspace...

She's fiercely aggressive towards anything invading her airspace...

..and is keeping a stern eye on the colony.

It's day one of his training,

and the apprehensive young male prepares to make his first launch.

and the apprehensive young male prepares to make his first launch.

Over a 400m drop.

Instinct takes over.

If he doesn't hold himself stable

he could easily crash to the ground.

(EAGLE SQUAWKS)

The eagle seizes an opportunity to show who's boss...

The eagle seizes an opportunity to show who's boss...

(SQUAWKING)

..by ambushing an adult.

..by ambushing an adult.

The young male has seen the attack.

He decides it's a lot safer beside Mum.

Flight school must continue without him.

The adults lead the students out towards the plains.

Here they demonstrate how to use thermals -

the columns of hot air that rise off the land.

the columns of hot air that rise off the land.

The students learn to feel the updraughts

The students learn to feel the updraughts

with their sensitive wingtips...

..and make precise adjustments

to circle and climb.

Using thermals as elevators,

condors can glide without flapping for almost 200 km.

condors can glide without flapping for almost 200 km.

Giving them a far-ranging view

as they effortlessly travel in search of food.

as they effortlessly travel in search of food.

Back at the citadel,

Back at the citadel,

the youngster's mother is restless.

These are vital lessons her son cannot miss.

He'll have to run the gauntlet.

(SQUAWKS)

(CHIRPS)

He's held his nerve.

And with new-found confidence,

And with new-found confidence,

he begins to soar.

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

If he's lucky, he'll pass the next five decades

gliding across this landscape.

gliding across this landscape.

For some creatures, the benefits of catching air

last just a fraction of their lifetime.

last just a fraction of their lifetime.

It's a summer's evening on a river in Hungary.

It's a summer's evening on a river in Hungary.

All is calm.

But that peace is about to be broken...

..by an extraordinary annual event.

A long-tailed mayfly breaks the surface.

(MAYFLIES BUZZ)

Casting off his larval skin,

he exposes brand-new wings.

he exposes brand-new wings.

Covered in tiny hairs,

they're water resistant

and strong...

..and designed to lift his body off the surface...

..because he must!

..because he must!

Now an adult, he has just a few hours

to find a mate and reproduce

to find a mate and reproduce

before he dies.

From the moment he gets airborne

From the moment he gets airborne

the clock starts ticking.

More males emerge.

More males emerge.

For three years they've lived aquatic lives,

feeding on the riverbed, building up their energy reserves.

feeding on the riverbed, building up their energy reserves.

Now, having no mouth to feed,

Now, having no mouth to feed,

they can only fuel their flight for as long as these fat stores last.

Each male now does something only mayflies can do...

..he goes through a second transformation.

Shedding the waterproof layer,

his delicate new wings are smoother and lighter...

his delicate new wings are smoother and lighter...

..and fit for a very specific purpose...

..fast and agile flight.

Thousands of males scour the river

Thousands of males scour the river

as females begin to emerge.

Skimming the water with their long filaments,

they try to intercept them the moment they reach the surface.

they try to intercept them the moment they reach the surface.

In the race to mate,

it might just give them a head start.

As soon as she appears,

each female is surrounded,

each female is surrounded,

as males rush to fertilise her eggs.

At the height of the hatch

there are millions on the wing.

But all too soon, the males' time is up.

Reserves spent...

..their bodies litter the surface.

..their bodies litter the surface.

But for the females,

there's one final journey.

Now that they've mated,

they follow the light reflected off the river

and fly upstream,

and fly upstream,

for several kilometres.

Then, they, too, drop to the surface,

releasing eggs into the current,

releasing eggs into the current,

where they're carried back to the place their parents emerged.

Their brief adult lives are over.

By taking to the wing in this extraordinary mass emergence,

the mayflies have achieved their life's purpose...

the mayflies have achieved their life's purpose...

..ensuring the future of the next generation.

..ensuring the future of the next generation.

When it comes to flight, wings are the ultimate asset.

But not all animals that fly have wings.

Some creatures have found other ways to catch air.

Some creatures have found other ways to catch air.

And they've come up with special adaptations to get airborne.

And they've come up with special adaptations to get airborne.

Hokkaido - Japan's most northerly island.

Winters here are long and cold.

With temperatures dropping below minus 30 degrees Celsius...

With temperatures dropping below minus 30 degrees Celsius...

..it takes remarkable resilience for any animal to survive.

A Siberian squirrel.

She's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

And one of the few creatures to stay the winter,

And one of the few creatures to stay the winter,

cooped up in her tree den for warmth.

Today she's come out early, driven by hunger.

Finding food at this time of year is hard,

but this spritely squirrel knows what to do.

but this spritely squirrel knows what to do.

She can't cross the ground, though.

Sinking in snow almost 2m deep, she'd never survive.

Sinking in snow almost 2m deep, she'd never survive.

She starts to climb...

..up to a height of 30m.

For she's not just any squirrel...

For she's not just any squirrel...

..she's a flying squirrel!

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

Spreading her limbs,

she reveals a furry membrane between her wrists and ankles.

This transforms her body into a wingsuit,

so she catches the air...

so she catches the air...

and glides.

Covering up to 50m in a single leap,

it allows her to travel quickly and conserve her energy.

it allows her to travel quickly and conserve her energy.

Her aerial acrobatics have attracted some attention.

Her aerial acrobatics have attracted some attention.

A male. Intrigued, he decides to take a closer look.

A male. Intrigued, he decides to take a closer look.

And while she usually prefers solitude...

..right now, she's keen to make friends.

(SQUIRRELS CHITTER)

She's happy to share her food -

She's happy to share her food -

the tiny new buds at the tips of the branches.

Then, with her belly full,

she leads him back to her den.

As well as flying,

As well as flying,

Siberian squirrels have another strategy

for surviving these harsh conditions.

Giving him one final check...

..she invites him in.

..she invites him in.

In the shelter of her den...

..they cuddle up for warmth...

..braving winter's chill together.

To stay airborne longer, and travel farther,

To stay airborne longer, and travel farther,

another creature has come up with something even more ingenious.

It hitches a lift for free!

(COW MOOS)

A female cupboard spider.

Smaller than a thumbnail,

she's mother to one of the largest families on this English farm.

she's mother to one of the largest families on this English farm.

But after a month of guarding her precious egg sac...

But after a month of guarding her precious egg sac...

..her parenting duties are over.

Left on their own are hundreds of tiny spiderlings.

And today, after weeks of living in such cramped conditions...

And today, after weeks of living in such cramped conditions...

..it's time for them to break free.

Despite starting life as one big family,

there's no sibling loyalty.

These spiders are solitary.

They can even be cannibals.

So it's unwise to hang around.

Compelled by a genetic wanderlust,

Compelled by a genetic wanderlust,

they all set off in different directions.

This tiny spiderling - smaller than a grain of rice -

is searching for something.

But this blade of grass won't do.

He's looking for a high point to serve as a platform...

..because he's about to put his life on the line.

..because he's about to put his life on the line.

Starting by anchoring himself to the edge...

..he stands on tiptoe

..he stands on tiptoe

and shoots strands of silk into the air.

Each one is a thousand times thinner than a human hair.

After sending out up to 60 threads, he waits.

With his special spider sense

With his special spider sense

he uses the hairs on his legs to detect the flow of air around him.

And when it's no more than a gentle breeze...

..he cuts his anchor.

He's created his own balloon.

He's created his own balloon.

These spiders can ride the wind for thousands of kilometres...

..successfully dispersing themselves all around the planet.

But while he can catch the breeze...

But while he can catch the breeze...

..the spiderling is also at its mercy.

When the wind drops, so does he.

With no control over his direction

a water landing could be perilous.

a water landing could be perilous.

But he's so light he doesn't even break the surface.

But he's so light he doesn't even break the surface.

For this tiny trailblazer,

his silken journey has paid off...

..and with it, he's found a whole new territory to call home.

..and with it, he's found a whole new territory to call home.

When it comes to catching air

When it comes to catching air

having no limbs is no barrier to conquering the skies.

High in the canopy of a Southeast Asian jungle...

..the paradise tree snake is totally at ease...

..the paradise tree snake is totally at ease...

..in his treetop home.

Here, there's more sunlight...

..giving him the energy to move around.

But food can be scattered far and wide.

To hunt for prey in a neighbouring tree...

..it's far too much effort.

Climbing all the way down...

..only to climb back up again.

So this snake has found a clever way to cover the distance.

He begins to climb.

To bridge the small gaps between branches...

To bridge the small gaps between branches...

..he stretches out his body...

..making it go rigid.

..making it go rigid.

But reaching a gap that's too wide to cross...

..requires something more ingenious.

He pinpoints his landing...

He pinpoints his landing...

..then, with a powerful thrust from his tail...

..it's lift off!

Spreading out his ribcage...

Spreading out his ribcage...

..he flattens his body like a ribbon...

..increasing air resistance...

..increasing air resistance...

..and slowing his descent.

Then he contorts his body to maintain stability...

..and glides.

..and glides.

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

His destination has been well judged.

A Draco lizard.

But his approach hasn't gone unnoticed.

(QUIRKY MUSIC)

(QUIRKY MUSIC)

This snake isn't the only one with an impressive arsenal of tricks.

This snake isn't the only one with an impressive arsenal of tricks.

Here, even lizards can fly!

In the game of one upmanship between predator and prey,...

..this time, the snake's been outplayed.

..this time, the snake's been outplayed.

Taking to the air without wings isn't easy...

Taking to the air without wings isn't easy...

..but in a world of extreme landscapes

one creature has evolved the perfect launch mechanism.

one creature has evolved the perfect launch mechanism.

Deep within the forest of western Madagascar...

Deep within the forest of western Madagascar...

.lives a shy and secretive lemur.

Decken's sifaka.

(LEMUR VOCALISES)

It's the end of the dry season, when food is scarce.

This small family have spent all morning

searching for fruit and leaves.

searching for fruit and leaves.

In the hottest part of the day

they take time off to rest.

While their youngster practises his climbing skills.

While their youngster practises his climbing skills.

But today they've got company.

But today they've got company.

Brown lemurs.

A whole new troop of hungry mouths.

With their voracious appetites

they'll strip these trees bare in no time.

they'll strip these trees bare in no time.

Having a youngster to feed,

the sifakas have no other option.

the sifakas have no other option.

They must look for food elsewhere.

The matriarch knows of a special place.

But the journey to reach it will be treacherous.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

They must enter the Grand Tsingy.

The world's largest stone forest.

The world's largest stone forest.

More than 1,500 square kilometres

More than 1,500 square kilometres

of razor-sharp limestone pinnacles.

Carved out by rainfall over millions of years.

Carved out by rainfall over millions of years.

In the deep ravines there's moisture...

In the deep ravines there's moisture...

..allowing hidden pockets of forest to grow.

The matriarch leads her small family into this perilous labyrinth.

The brown lemurs follow

carefully picking their way over the needlelike spires.

carefully picking their way over the needlelike spires.

But the sifakas possess an extraordinary skill

But the sifakas possess an extraordinary skill

to cross this hazardous terrain.

They're true airborne leapers!

Hind legs, packed with muscle...

Hind legs, packed with muscle...

..act like coiled springs...

..launching them over 10m chasms.

Soft pads on their hands and feet

cushion their landing on jagged rocks.

cushion their landing on jagged rocks.

These limestone shards stand more than 100m tall.

These limestone shards stand more than 100m tall.

One small slip could be fatal.

With shorter, less muscular legs,

the brown lemurs can't compete.

the brown lemurs can't compete.

Under the matriarch's careful eye

the youngster is guided across the pinnacles.

Safely through, she's led her family to their reward -

Safely through, she's led her family to their reward -

the fresh, juicy leaves they need to sustain them.

It's just one of many pockets of trees here,

but thanks to their aerial dexterity,

but thanks to their aerial dexterity,

these lemurs will have them all to themselves.

When animals leap they may catch air,

but gravity soon brings them back to Earth.

To defy this gravitational pull

creatures must power their flight.

And that requires wings.

Over millions of years

some have perfected their technique...

some have perfected their technique...

..using power and agility

to push the laws of physics

to push the laws of physics

to the very edge.

But when it comes to speed,

there's only one master.

there's only one master.

The peregrine falcon.

(FALCON SQUAWKS)

(FALCON SQUAWKS)

the fastest animal on Earth.

the fastest animal on Earth.

It's late summer in Canada's Bay of Fundy.

It's late summer in Canada's Bay of Fundy.

For the past few months

this female has been busy, feeding her growing youngster.

this female has been busy, feeding her growing youngster.

Now ten weeks old,

he's got just a short window to practise his hunting skills,

he's got just a short window to practise his hunting skills,

before leaving to fend for himself.

In this wide, open bay

finding prey isn't easy.

But that's about to change.

But that's about to change.

Twice a day, the receding tide exposes vast mudflats.

Beneath the surface, they're packed

with billions of tiny crustaceans.

At this time of year, they're an irresistible draw

for a very small visitor.

(BIRD CHIRPS)

The sandpiper.

(SANDPIPERS CHIRP)

Every summer, hundreds of thousands of these tiny waders arrive.

Every summer, hundreds of thousands of these tiny waders arrive.

They're on a huge migration south,

They're on a huge migration south,

from their breeding grounds in the Arctic,

to where they spend the winter, in South America.

And for just a few weeks,

the bay makes the perfect pit-stop to top up their fat stores.

Their arrival is keenly anticipated.

As the tide turns, the sea drives the sandpipers off the mud.

(SANDPIPERS CHIRP)

(WAVES ROAR)

Huge flocks settle on shore to wait for the waters to retreat.

Huge flocks settle on shore to wait for the waters to retreat.

While her youngster looks on...

..it's time for a masterclass in hunting.

..it's time for a masterclass in hunting.

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

The female sneaks up low and fast.

The female sneaks up low and fast.

(SANDPIPERS CHIRP FRANTICALLY)

(SANDPIPERS CHIRP FRANTICALLY)

Then, gaining altitude...

..she uses gravity to convert that height into speed.

Diving as fast as 300km per hour

she tucks her wings in tight to accelerate.

Selecting a target...

..she takes the sharpest of turns to follow it...

..and makes her catch.

Now, it's her youngster's turn.

While he doesn't yet have his mother's high-speed skills,

his quick thinking singles out an exhausted straggler...

his quick thinking singles out an exhausted straggler...

(SANDPIPERS CHIRPING)

..forcing it down to the rocks.

It's not the most elegant hunt for a peregrine,

but it shows initiative.

And over the next few weeks,

with his mother to guide him,

he'll become just like her -

he'll become just like her -

a highly specialised master of speed.

Of all the aerial athletes,

nothing comes close to the real Olympic gymnasts

nothing comes close to the real Olympic gymnasts

of the avian world...

..one of which lives here, in Costa Rica.

The spectacular cloud forests of the Talamanca mountains.

Rising in places to over 3,500m...

Rising in places to over 3,500m...

..their lush vegetation is a welcome sight for one tiny traveller.

(HUMMINGBIRD CHIRPS)

A fiery-throated hummingbird.

It's the start of the rainy season,

when there's a fresh flush of growth

and she's come up to these cool mountain forests to look for food.

and she's come up to these cool mountain forests to look for food.

She's one of the most stunning of all birds,

with every shade of the rainbow on her iridescent throat and chest.

with every shade of the rainbow on her iridescent throat and chest.

She's also one of the busiest.

To power her wings

she has to sip nectar up to 2,000 times a day.

Just two hours without food

and she'll be on the brink of starvation.

So, in this new patch of forest

So, in this new patch of forest

she must find the flowers quickly

and learn the shortest routes between them.

And in doing this, she's extraordinarily acrobatic.

Like all hummingbirds, she can fly straight up...

..even backwards.

They're the only bird to do so.

This versatility is down to the remarkable way she uses her wings.

This versatility is down to the remarkable way she uses her wings.

A special shoulder joint

allows her to rotate her wings in a figure of eight.

Rather than flap them

she twists them.

And by beating her wings up to 30 times a second

she can hover...

..holding herself steady when feeding, with remarkable precision.

Having sipped from each bloom here,

her search for food continues.

her search for food continues.

(HUMMINGBIRD CHIRPS)

But this sweet nectar is in high demand...

..and this patch of forest is taken.

Another fiery-throated hummingbird.

He wants all the flowers to himself

and he's prepared to fight her off.

(CHIRPING AGGRESSIVELY)

(CHIRPING AGGRESSIVELY)

But she's determined to stand her ground.

In their attempts to overpower each other,

they use all their acrobatic skills.

Her opponent gains the advantage.

Using his wings now as weapons

he tries to disorientate her.

he tries to disorientate her.

But she's not giving up.

And finally, she sees him off.

And finally, she sees him off.

She claims her patch...

..and takes her reward.

Animals all over the world have risen to an extraordinary challenge.

And defied gravity.

With ingenuity and determination...

With ingenuity and determination...

..they've taken the fight,

to survive and thrive,

to a whole new level...

..earning their place

as rulers of the skies.

To film the heaviest soaring bird in the world

the Airborne team undertake a three-day journey from the UK

to a remote part of Patagonia, in Chile.

to a remote part of Patagonia, in Chile.

The location - a protected site over 1,000m high

The location - a protected site over 1,000m high

in the Andean foothills -

is not for the faint hearted.

But these precipitous cliffs

are perfect for condors.

Wow. What an amazing place.

Wow. What an amazing place.

It's difficult to get to, but my goodness.

I've never seen so many condors.

I've never seen so many condors.

There's one about to come overhead.

There's one about to come overhead.

Look at that.

(CHUCKLES) They're amazing.

With condors soaring all around them

the team are eager to start filming.

To capture their behaviour

To capture their behaviour

wildlife cameraman James Aldred

is going to have to take his life in his hands.

I'm gonna take a couple of these slings as well, actually.

As a professional rope technician

he's qualified to assess exactly where it's safe

he's qualified to assess exactly where it's safe

to get a clear view of the condors.

But even he can find these heights scary.

But even he can find these heights scary.

So if I haven't been up high for a while

I definitely feel a little bit weird looking over the edge.

Having chosen his spot,

he sets up his safety ropes.

It's incredibly dramatic.

It's incredibly dramatic.

You know, if I was gonna imagine where condors would hang out

this is pretty much it.

I mean, it wouldn't look out of place to see a dragon

I mean, it wouldn't look out of place to see a dragon

perched on top of some of these ridges.

It's a hell of a spot. I love it here. Absolutely love it.

For the next few weeks

the team set up before dawn...

..hoping to catch the condor's first flight of the day.

Local drone operator, Cristobal Santamaria,

Local drone operator, Cristobal Santamaria,

has been tasked with capturing close, immersive shots

of these birds in flight.

CRISTOBAL: Woo-hoo! We have condors.

CRISTOBAL: Woo-hoo! We have condors.

But here in Patagonia, there's a saying:

But here in Patagonia, there's a saying:

four seasons in a day.

As soon as the sun's up

the wind picks up, too.

Now, the wind is too strong.

He makes the call to bring back the drone.

(WIND HOWLING) Oh, hold on.

Can you work it?

(EXHALES)

With the drone back on terra firma...

With the drone back on terra firma...

..down in a more sheltered roost site,

James is capturing some extraordinary behaviour.

James is capturing some extraordinary behaviour.

A black-chested buzzard eagle

defending her territory.

I was filming it in slow-mo, five times slowed down.

When it happens in real life it's bang!

Oh, my goodness!

Absolutely amazing! (CHUCKLES)

Rarely witnessed, this aggressive behaviour towards condors

has never been broadcast before.

After three weeks, the team have achieved what they came for...

..and will be sad to leave this thriving colony.

RENE: So, yes, the numbers are healthy here.

It doesn't mean that the animal is healthy as a population

in general. It's struggling in other places.

in general. It's struggling in other places.

And we are very lucky to see condors, as we can see them here.

This is not something normal or common.

Even us, being from Chile, this is not something

Even us, being from Chile, this is not something

that you get to see every day.

They'll take away a deeper respect

They'll take away a deeper respect

for these remarkable birds.

Subtitles by Sky Access Services www.skyaccessibility.sky

Subtitles by Sky Access Services www.skyaccessibility.sky