The original collection of wing images was taken or scanned between 1997-2005. We thank the Burke Museum, University of Washington, for the loan of many wings and permission to include images on our website and all the work-study students and volunteers that contributed to the effort. As of July 2011, the original wing images have been archived. New images of the original wings plus additional wings and tails are available via the link above in a database format. The new images were taken using a standard background, including a scale, preening and straightening feathers, and cleaning wings. There are several standard searches available on the "Featured Searches" page including Order, Family, common group name, and common name. The common name can be entered in whole or part. For example, to view all warblers, simply search on warbler. When viewing an image, clicking on any blue word will retrieve all images that contain that word. As an example, if you wish to view an image of a warbler from May, clicking May will retrieve all wings from May.
We have attempted to have the images replicate the coloration of the original wings as closely as possible, but that has not always been easy. Both digital photography and scanning sometimes results in colors being rendered with some inaccuracy, so we don't guarantee perfection in hue and saturation. Shapes and patterns will be perfect, colors sometimes a little off, so please don't use the images as research subjects if coloration is an important variable. If you are conducting research on wings, feel free to apply to this museum for a loan.
As of Sep 2024 wing & tail images were moved to JSTOR.