Vance A. Tucker

Professor Emeritus of Zoology

Office: 
0032 Bio Sci Bldg, Durham, NC 27708
Campus Box: 
Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708-0338
Phone: 
(919) 684-3484
Email: 
vtucker@duke.edu
Vance A. Tucker
Vance Tucker is interested in comparative physiology, particularly the energetics of locomotion, and the interactions between an organism's natural environment and its respiratory and circulatory systems. Much of his research has dealt with the aerodynamics and energetics of avian flight, and has also included work on mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects. He is particularly interested in those aspects of physiology that can be described in physical or physical-chemical terms, usually involving math ematical models. Examples of such subjects are: energy storage by stretched elastic structures in running animals, wave making by insects swimming on water surfaces and heat exchange in animals entering into and arousing from hibernation.

Education

  • Ph.D., University of California - Los Angeles 1963

  • M.S., University of Wisconsin - Madison 1960

  • B.A., University of California - Los Angeles 1958

Tucker, V. A. “Gliding flight: Drag and torque of a hawk and a falcon with straight and turned heads, and a lower value for the parasite drag coefficient.” Journal of Experimental Biology 203, no. 24 (December 1, 2000): 3733–44.

Tucker, V. A., A. E. Tucker, K. Akers, and J. H. Enderson. “Curved flight paths and sideways vision in peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus).” Journal of Experimental Biology 203, no. 24 (December 1, 2000): 3755–63.

Tucker, V. A. “The deep fovea, sideways vision and spiral flight paths in raptors.” J Exp Biol 203, no. Pt 24 (December 2000): 3745–54.

Tucker, V. A., A. E. Tucker, K. Akers, and J. H. Enderson. “Curved flight paths and sideways vision in peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus).” The Journal of Experimental Biology 203, no. Pt 24 (December 2000): 3755–63.

Tucker, V. A. “Gliding flight: drag and torque of a hawk and a falcon with straight and turned heads, and a lower value for the parasite drag coefficient.” The Journal of Experimental Biology 203, no. Pt 24 (December 2000): 3733–44.

Tucker, V. A. “The deep fovea, sideways vision and spiral flight paths in raptors.” The Journal of Experimental Biology 203, no. Pt 24 (December 2000): 3745–54.

Tucker, V. A. “A 4 g, battery-powered, data logger accelerometer for free-flying birds.” Review of Scientific Instruments 70, no. 11 (January 1, 1999): 4394–97. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1150084. Full Text

Tucker, V. A., T. J. Cade, and A. E. Tucker. “Diving speeds and angles of a gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus).” The Journal of Experimental Biology 201 (Pt 13) (July 1998): 2061–70.

Tucker, V. A. “Using a collision model to design safer wind turbine rotors for birds.” Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Transactions of the Asme 118, no. 4 (January 1, 1996): 263–69. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2871791. Full Text

Tucker, V. A. “A mathematical model of bird collisions with wind turbine rotors.” Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Transactions of the Asme 118, no. 4 (January 1, 1996): 253–62. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2871788. Full Text

Pages

Selected Grants

The Effects of Wing Tip and Body Shape on Aerodynamics of Flying Birds awarded by National Science Foundation (Principal Investigator). 1991 to 1997

Aerodynamics of Parasite and Profile Drag in Avian Models awarded by National Science Foundation (Principal Investigator). 1991 to 1993

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study the Effects of Radio-Marking on Bird Flight awarded by Fish and Wildlife (Principal Investigator). 1987 to 1988