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Aircraft have the luxury of using a runway for braking to reduce speed. In contrast, birds must brake before they arrive at the perch—however slowing down to a safe speed while in flight risks stall, leading to a sudden loss of flight control. The researchers discovered that the hawks follow a flight path that slows them down to a safe speed but minimizes the distance from the perch at which they stall.
https://phys.org/news/2022-07-hawk-mid-air-prioritize-safety-energy.html
Paper:
@corlin Similar to a person landing a hang glider.