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…”
Elegance of cranes soaring, touching down, and skills of graceful dancing, courting, wing stretches inspires cultures worldwide.
Ardea herodias are carnivores though daily dieting on fish and aquatic invertebrates; but also eat snakes, lizards, frogs andsmall animals.
Julia Longwing Butterfly is a member of the diverse Brush-footed butterfly family, related to the Monarch, Viceroy.
Egret thula was once hunted for its plumage. The Snowy egret is migratory; common in wetlands & southern estuarial regions,
Ardea alba are members of the heron family with all-white plumage, Ardeidae. In search of prey it can walk, swim, hover, and aqua-dive.
Known as carpal, courlan, and crying bird derives its name forseeminly limping. A down curved bill gives aid in removing snails from shells.
Bosque del Apache is named for the Apache tribes that once roamed the area-a favorite migration habitat for 374 bird species.
The Osprey build large treetop nests in open surroundings. A pair will rotate in the hunting for food and nest protection.
Western osprey is called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk. Tolerating a wide habitat range its exclusive fish diet keeps it close to water.