Winging It

I have been hand stitching and beading two wings for a second bird for an online class I’m taking with Kelli May Krenz.

These two wings are for my Wide Winged Bird:

I still have to complete the body but I just love how the wings turned out so I had to show you!

And speaking of bird wings, did you know there are 4 general wing shapes for flying birds?

According to The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, these wing shapes are:

Passive soaring wings – These wings have long primary feathers that spread out, creating “slots” that allow the bird to catch vertical columns of hot air called “thermals” and rise higher in the air. Examples of birds with this wing type include eagles, most hawks and storks.

Active soaring wings – These wings are long and narrow, allowing the birds to soar, or fly without flapping their wings, for a long time. However, these birds are much more dependent on wind currents than passive soaring birds. Examples of birds with this wing type are albatrosses, gulls and gannets.

Elliptical wings – These wings are good for short bursts of high speed. They allow fast take offs and tight maneuvering. While they allow high speed, the speed cannot be maintained. Examples of birds with this wing type are crows, ravens, blackbirds, sparrows and thrushes (such as the American Robin).

High-speed wings – These wings are long and thin, but not nearly as long as birds with active soaring wings. As the name suggests, birds with this wing type are incredibly fast, but unlike those with elliptical wings, these birds can maintain their speed for awhile. Examples of birds that have this wing type are swifts, ducks, falcons, terns and sandpipers.

I hope you enjoyed this little lesson about bird wing shapes!

Spread your wings and soar today!

Note: Still more stitching and beading of the bird’s body so stay tuned for a future post!

Happy Wednesday!

Cheers! 😃