Wings of Birds Are Awesome

Wings of a bird, in particular, are fascinating in both design and beautiful in look and motion. Below are some tips on looking at the wings. Also, this helps in bird identification.

• Wingspan: The combined length of both wings from wingtip to wingtip can be a vital identification clue. Ideally, judge the wingspan when the bird is holding its wings level so there is no distortion, and consider the complete length across the bird’s body. If possible, judge the length by other birds or nearby objects for a more accurate assessment.

• Wingtip: Wingtips are easily visible on flying birds, and determining if they are rounded or pointed can help with proper identification. Another clue can be the splay of the primary feathers (how wide the spaces are between each individual feather on the wingtip). Some birds hold these feathers close together while others spread them widely.

• Wrist: The bend of a bird’s wing is its wrist, and how that wrist is held can distinguish different species. As with wingspan, it is best to make this judgment when the bird’s wings are fully extended and the bird is gently soaring, so the wing is in a rest position. Check if the wrist joint is relatively straight or shows a stronger bend, and how that bend compares to the position of the head. At the same time, check for any markings, such as a dark patch or comma-like shape at the wrist.

• Patagium: The leading edge of the wing is the patagium, and its color can help identify a bird, such as the dark patagium on the red-tailed hawk pictured above. Check if the whole patagium is colored or if it is simply splotched or speckled.

• Wingpit: A bird’s wingpit is the equivalent to the human armpit, the area close to the body on the interior of the underside of the wing. This area can show distinct colors or markings vital for bird identification. Look for streaks, barring or color patches on any in-flight bird you’re trying to identify.

Wing Feathers 

While the structure of the wing is often more immediately useful for field identification, field guides often refer to different types of feathers when listing key field marks. 

• Primary Feathers: The primary feathers are the “fingertip” feathers of the wing and are found at the wingtip. The primary feathers make up the longest part of a bird’s folded wing and culminate in the wingtip. When the bird is perched, different edging colors are more visible on these feathers, and the primary projection—how far the primary feathers extend beyond the secondary feathers—can be a great clue for identifying tricky bird species.

• Secondary Feathers: Secondary feathers make up the back edge of the wing closer to the body. They are generally shorter and closer together than primaries, and birds do not manipulate them as much as they do their primary feathers. The secondary feathers are less visible on a folded wing and are closer to the bird’s back, though they can overlap significantly and may not be easily seen. As with the primary feathers, look for edge colors that may be visible and could provide a clue for identification.

• Coverts: Covert feathers make up the wingpit as well as the upper side of the wing and cover the base of the primary and secondary feathers. They may be called primary coverts or secondary coverts depending on which feathers they are aligned with. Both the primary and secondary coverts on the upper side of the wing are easily visible on perched birds. These feathers make up the forward part of the folded wing, and their edging or colored tips can create wing bars that are ideal field marks.

Not every bird will show unique identification clues on every part of the wing or every type of wing feathers. 

Bird Flight

Different birds have different adaptive features to meet their flight needs:

• Some birds are small and can manipulate their wings and tail to maneuver easily, such as the fantail (pīwakawaka).
• The hawk, with its large wingspan, is capable of speed and soaring.
• Gannets and seabirds are streamlined to dive at high speeds into the ocean for fish.
• Godwits, although small, are equipped to fly long distances.

The shape of a bird’s wing is important for producing lift. The increased speed over a curved, larger wing area creates a longer path of air. This means the air is moving more quickly over the top surface of the wing, reducing air pressure on the top of the wing and creating lift. Also, the angle of the wing (tilted) deflects air downwards, causing a reaction force in the opposite direction and creating lift.

Larger wings produce greater lift than smaller wings. So smaller-winged birds (and planes) need to fly faster to maintain the same lift as those with larger wings.

Wing loading tells you how fast a bird or plane must fly to be able to maintain lift: wing loading = weight/wing area (kilograms per square meter).

A smaller wing loading number means the bird/plane can fly more slowly while still maintaining lift and is more maneuverable.

I hope you liked reading about birds, next time one flys by maybe you will enjoy it a bit more.

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