Ivory-billed Woodpecker (IMAGE)

Naval Research Laboratory

Ivory-billed Woodpecker

Caption

The ivory-billed woodpecker was thought to have duck-like flaps in which the wings remain extended throughout the flap cycle. One of the videos revealed radically different flaps in which the wings are folded completely closed in the middle of the upstroke. The images from the video show the wing motion from two angles. The photo in the upper right, which was obtained by James Tanner in 1939, shows an Ivory-billed Woodpecker in flight and contains a clue suggesting that there had been a misconception about the flap style.

Credit

Dr. Michael Collins

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