Along the shoreline, brown pelicans glide gracefully just above the waves in their echelon V-formation. A sleek black cormorant runs on the water to gain speed for lift off. A flock of sandpipers, startled off the sand, darts this way and that, turning together in perfect synchrony.
Look closely at the shape and design of bird wings and their flight styles. Birds are adapted to their habitats and specialized for feeding and survival in their particular niche. You can learn a lot about the physics of flight from the birds.
Bird wings have a thick front edge and are curved toward the back. This shape is called an airfoil — it's also how airplane wings are designed. When air flows over the wing, it goes slower on the top since the distance is greater than underneath the wing. The difference in airspeed results in a difference in pressure. The greater pressure below pushes the wing up, creating lift — the force needed to fly.
Think about these birds in different habitats and how their wings and tails help them glide, soar, twist or hover.
Over the open ocean, albatrosses and shearwaters fly on long, narrow, flat, and pointed wings. These birds are expert gliders and skim the surface water for small fish. They depend on wind currents to gain speed and lift. Similarly, gulls have long, narrow wings. Watch as a gull faces into the wind to take off, using the air flowing over its curved wing to create the upward force it needs to fly.
In the grassland, hawks soar on shorter, broad wings. This wide wing shape gives them surface area to catch warm air thermals that they use to circle up and gain altitude. Kestrels hover as they search the grassland for small animals. They can stay in one place by facing into the wind, flapping wings to create forward motion, and using the tail, turned under, as a brake.
In the forest, songbirds have short, round wings for rapid takeoff and short-distance flight. These birds need to maneuver through branches and escape quickly from predators. Long flight isn't necessary since they can find hiding places in the trees.
In the garden, spring flowers attract hummingbirds. Hummers can move in every direction including backwards and upside down — and without the headwind that other birds need. Their wings can move in a figure eight pattern, producing lift on both the up and down strokes.
Wherever you are, slow down to observe and wonder at the diversity of wing shapes and flight styles of our local birds.
Deborah McArthur is an environmental and outdoor educator. Contact her at firstname.lastname@example.org.