#423 In the studio: Bird anatomy, con't . . .

Please start this bird anatomy series with post #403, March 10.

Wing shapes vary among birds, reflecting the adaptations they have made to different environments.  There are four basic wing shapes, and all birds fall into a semblance of one of the four configurations.  The size and shape of the wings give clues to how the bird lives:

   1.  Long, wide wings are used by soaring birds such as hawks, eagles, and
        ravens.  A wing is considered long when it exceeds the length of the
        bird's body.
   2.  Narrow and pointed wings are used by fast flying birds such as swallows,
        swifts, and many migratory birds such as ducks and geese.
   3.  Long and narrow wings are used by gliding birds such as albatrosses,
        gulls, terns, fulmars, and shearwaters.
   4.  Wide and rounded wings are used for short, fast, and quick-escape flight
        birds such as grouse, pheasants, pigeons, and owls.

The wings of birds do not all have the same shape and size, but all fall into one of the four basic categories.  The shape and size of the wings determines what style of flying a bird executes.  Wing shape is one of the primary ways to identify different species.

Below are illustrations of four different wings.  Each fall into one of the four wing shape categories.

Below is a drawing of a Canada Goose . . . the large bird is migratory and falls into the
basic wing shape of number 2.  However, the wing is also wide and can be considered
to fall into a slight semblance of wing shape number 1, even though it cannot soar. 

All sculpture and drawings - copyright Sandy Scott

#419 In the studio: Bird anatomy, con't .

Please start this bird anatomy series with post #403, March 10.

The bird's tail is actually a combination of left and right tail feathers.  One side cannot be spread without  the other spreading also but each side can move up and down independently.  Because of the two sides, there are always an even number of tail feathers.

The bird's tail is shaped differently depending on the species and how nature intended the bird to live and eat:  

The function of the tail is braking, steering, balance, aerodynamic lift, display, and signaling.

Below is an illustration showing several basic tail shapes for different bird species: 

                  1.  Square - starling or nuthatch             5.  Pintail - duck

                  2.  Cleft - Finch                                       6.  Wedge - raven

                  3.  Deep forked - tern or swallow            7.  Fantail - cuckoo

                  4.  Spiked feathers - woodpecker           8.  Elongated center feathers - bee-eater  

There are also variations, such as rounded (crow), pointed (mourning dove),
graduated (magpie), and several unique . . . such as roosters, peafowl, etc. 

    

Below is a recent sculpture of a Fantailed Pigeon . . . pigeons are in the dove family of birds.

Hearts Entwined 
12"H 22"L 11"D
Copyright - Sandy Scott


Below, detail . . . Hearts Entwined

All drawings and sculpture, copyright - Sandy Scott

#334 Noatak River, Alaska, con't . . .

During our Noatak “impromptu bird anatomy workshop” I described the four basic bird wing shapes illustrated below, see post #333, Oct. 26.  Understanding that all birds fall into a semblance of one of the four basic shapes helps the viewer establish relative proportions and identify the bird.

I will be teaching a Bird Sculpture and Anatomy
Workshop at Scottsdale Artist School, 
www.scottsdaleartschool.org/ on January 21-25, 2013 and at Brookgreen Gardens rsalmon@brookgreen.org on April 15-17.  Beginners and especially painters who have never sculpted are welcome.

Below, drawings from my sketchbook journal: Top, workshop data; middle, wing shapes; bottom, Tern sketch

There are four basic wing shapes and all birds fall  into a semblance of one of the four configurations. 

The size and shape of wings give clues to how the bird lives.

1.  Long and wide wings are used by soaring birds

     such as hawks, eagles, and ravens.  A wing is

     considered long when it exceeds the length of

     the bird's body.

   

2.  Narrow and pointed wings are used by fast

     flying birds such as swallows, swifts, and many

     migratory birds such as ducks and geese.

3.  Long and narrow wings are used by gliding

     birds such as albatrosses, gulls, fulmars,

     shearwaters, and terns.

4.  Wide and rounded wings are used for short,

     fast and quick-escape flight birds such as

     grouse, pheasants, pigeons, and owls.