Diario de gracey4

2/20/2021
Start Time: 9:05 am
End Time: 10:30
Location: UVM Campus
Weather: 19º F, mostly cloudy, wind 5-10 mph NW
Habitats: Urban (college campus, neighborhood), young to middle-aged deciduous and evergreen trees

One flight pattern that always stands out to me is that of Black-capped Chickadees; they are especially active and agile, and their flight seems, to me at least, almost “bouncy”. They have very round wings for increased maneuverability in forested areas. This maneuverability almost certainly contributes to their speedy, agile flight style.
Ring-billed Gulls have a drastically different wing shape and flight style. Their wings are longer relative to their body size, and are slimmer and more pointed. Their flight is also much smoother, and their wingbeats often seem relatively shallow. Ring-billed Gulls are also a largely ocean-dwelling species, and therefore have wings designed for lift, with less of a need to be able to move quickly around close trees and shrubs than birds like Chickadees. The fact that their wings are built to provide easy lift may contribute to their flight style, which is seemingly very light and effortless.
Many birds have characteristic flight patterns; the first that comes to my mind is the undulating flight of woodpeckers and finches. Even from a distance, flight pattern can often be used to identify species, whether it’s straight and direct or looser and more undulating. Speed can also be important, whether a bird has smooth, almost lazy-looking wingbeats or quicker, snappier wingbeats.