A Museum of Natural History paleontologist lectures a mix of 3-year-olds and grandparents with an evolutionary story. This is a tale of dinosaurs evolving feathers, then wings—then flight. It took several years. It was, after all, evolutionary. DNA evidence has come to surface that even the mighty T-Rex evolved and took flight.
This image collection of feathers—and wings is an homage to those vertebrates and invertebrates evolving and taking to the air. Lifting off, landing, foraging, roosting and even in posture. Feathers and wings are tools of the elegance and majesty in the dynamics we call flight. Given a few more millennia maybe man gets there! Certainly, man always has been envious. And hopeful–if the T-Rex can fly…?
Flight, expressed by author Marjory Stoneman Douglas wrote, “they would move in their white thousands and tens of thousands, with the sounds of great stiff silk banners, birds in flock, birds in wedges, birds in wavering ribbons, blue and white crowds, rivers of birds pouring against the sunset…”
Antigone Grus is a large long-necked, long-legged bird with a pointed bill. V flight formation can save energy in their migratory thermals.
Anhinga -called snakebird, devil bird, darter, and water turkey. It hunts by diving but has no waterproof feathers. It absorbs body heat to dry.
Anhingas webbed feet make them excellent swimmers. Anhingas hunt by spearing their prey.
Nycticorax nycticorax called the night heron is a stocky and
hunched but extends its neck while night hunting.
Skimmers feed in large groups and fly low plowing the surface water as a foraging strategy. Verticle eyes slits to reduce glare.
In 2010 to create four species of wadding birds with perhaps the oldest fossil histories of any bird.
Early morning takeoff
Butorides stratus or green-backed heron is a dark wading bird with bluish back, chestnut neck, grey underparts and dark sharp bill.
Parabuteo unicinctus inhabits semiarid woodlands, marshes, and brushlands. Harris hawks are notable for cooperative hunting.