How Birds Fly: inside and out

How Birds Fly: inside and out- Week 3 update

The most important part of a birds flight is the airfoil their wings create, bird wings are tapered in the sense they are thicker and one point than thinner at the tips of the feathers this acts to give a favorable ratio of lift and drag, lift being elevation and drag being that which slows an object down.

Birds counter forces of gravity with lift and thrust, the unique tapered shape of the wing, composed of a greater curve on the upper area creates the lift. Thrust is created by the force of a bird’s muscles that produce the flapping motion

Each birds flight is unique,

The house sparrow has an elliptical wing shape this wing shape is used to allow the bird expert control of quick maneuvering and rapid altitude changes. The primary feathers are slotted to allow sharp turns and frequent takeoff and landings. Birds with elliptical wings are fast fliers and achieve small bursts of quick flight.

Comparatively to other small birds the house sparrows flight is quite direct, this meaning that its wings flap quickly giving way to little freefall.

All bird flight uses a few main categories while birds of flight are capable of these types, they have their own styles and areas of expertise

Parts of flight:

Take off:

While birds have different ways of getting in the air, some run while others hop or jump. If you have ever seen the quickly hopping house sparrow it’s easy to guess that they rely heavily on their jump.

When taking off direction and rotation are balanced to create the perfect conditions for flight.

Surprisingly, environment plays a role in the sparrows take off depending on their jumping off point. The unique grasp when perched allows more directions to jump in than the flat ground.

Flapping flight:

Flapping flight is the type of flying sparrows are experts at and is comprised of an upstroke and downstroke.

Downstroke:

Achieves primary lift through the outstretching of the wing, the major muscle used in this stroke is also the birds largest, it is called the pectoralis and is located at the breastbone. The downstroke can maintain, raise or lower altitude.

Upstroke:

The wing is moved closer to the body to reduce surface area and subsequently reduces lift, this is mainly a recovery stroke to allow the wings their next downstroke

While there are main muscles involved the flapping, flight uses over 50 muscles.

The environment acts as a force to be overcome during flapping flight, the gravity and drag of the environment become the factors that lift and thrust overcome respectively.

Soaring/gliding:

While sparrows’ elliptical wings are most suited for flapping flight, they also have the ability to glide/soar.

While soaring the bird outstretches its wings using its streamlined body to minimize resist

The primaries and tail feathers are used to steer while the secondaries provide stabilization.

The environment is used in soaring as a lifting force through either the airfoil shape of the wings on the rising air caused by heat and updrafts.

What I seek to achieve through this painting is a depiction of a sparrow's flight. In creating I'm looking to extracts not just the concept of flying but to draw attention to the various parts of a sparrow's flight. As I continue to work on this painting I will be adding representations of the flight patterns specific to the house sparrow.