This week has seen some pretty cool birds for the wing scanning project. Until this week, my intrepid volunteers and I have been working through wings from a bunch of small bird species. But, since the software trial that was generously provided to me by NextEngine, Inc. is about to expire, I thought it best to push on some of the larger wings that require the enhanced field of vision that NextEngine's enhanced Proscan software unlocks. So, we've been scanning broad-winged hawks and northern harriers. The scanner also had a visit from a pine grosbeak!
A northern harrier (Circus cyaneus) in flight. You'll usually see this species gliding low over the landscape, swooping and diving over the terrain. The white band on their butt is the tell-tale feature that you're looking at a harrier. Photo credit: Rob Zweers via Wikipedia Commons.
Broad-winged hawks (Buteo platypterus) are pretty common around here. Photo credit: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo via Wikipedia Commons.
A beautiful pine grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) from the frozen north. My specimen is from Alaska. So, not being from North Carolina, and having only one sample means that it's of limited use for my study, but it was too cool of a wing to pass up! Photo credit: Ron Knight via Wikipedia.